Squid Game Season 1 (2021) – Watch Online, Release Date, Cast, Episodes, Story, Platform, Trailer, Poster, Review
Trailer, Teaser & Videos
Squid Game Season 1 TV Series Details
| Original title | 오징어 게임 |
| Also known as | Ojing-eo Geim; Ojingŏ Keim |
| Taglines | 45.6 Billion Won is Child’s Play |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
| Genres | Action, Drama, Mystery, Survival, Thriller |
| Season | 1 |
| Episodes | 9 |
| Release date | September 17, 2021 |
| Running time | 32–63 minutes |
| Age rating | TV-MA |
| Starring | Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-joon, HoYeon Jung, O Yeong-su, Heo Sung-tae, Anupam Tripathi, Kim Joo-ryoung |
| Created by | Hwang Dong-hyuk |
| Directed by | Hwang Dong-hyuk |
| Written by | Hwang Dong-hyuk |
| Produced by | Kim Ji-yeon, Hwang Dong-hyuk (executive producer) |
| Cinematography by | Lee Hyeong-deok |
| Edited by | Nam Na-yeong |
| Music by | Jung Jae-il |
| Production Company | Siren Pictures Inc. |
| Distributor | Netflix |
| Budget | US$21.4 million |
About Squid Game Season 1 TV Series
Squid Game season 1 (Korean: 오징어 게임) is a South Korean web series created by Hwang Dong-hyuk for Netflix. Its cast includes Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-joon, HoYeon Jung, O Yeong-su, Heo Sung-tae, Anupam Tripathi, and Kim Joo-ryoung.
Around 2008, Hwang Dong-hyuk faced financial difficulties and attempted to secure investment for a movie script he had written. He, along with his mother and grandmother, struggled amid South Korea’s debt crisis and had to take out loans to survive. Seeking solace, Hwang spent time in a South Korean manga cafe reading Japanese survival manga like Battle Royale, Liar Game, and Gambling Apocalypse: Kaiji. Inspired by these stories, he conceived the idea of a survival game to escape debt and wrote a script throughout 2009. However, he struggled to sell the concept, as it was deemed too difficult to understand and unrealistic. Despite this setback, Hwang continued to work on other film projects over the next decade.
In the 2010s, Netflix witnessed significant growth in viewership globally and began investing in productions outside of North America, including in Korea. Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co-CEO, expressed interest in finding international successes like “Stranger Things.” With the establishment of a division in Asia in 2018, Hwang Dong-hyuk pitched his script for “Squid Game” to Netflix. Recognizing Hwang’s talent and the unique nature of his script, Netflix decided to produce it as an original series.
Bela Bajaria, head of global television operations at Netflix, acknowledged the potential of the series, particularly in Korea, due to Hwang’s reputation and the popularity of K-Dramas across Asia. Hwang, reflecting on his return to the project after a decade, noted the changing societal landscape and believed that the themes of economic disparity and survival resonated more strongly with audiences, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following Netflix’s order, the film concept for “Squid Game” was expanded into a nine-episode series to delve deeper into character relationships and individual stories. Initially named “Round Six” by Netflix, Hwang Dong-hyuk advocated for the title “Squid Game,” citing its cryptic nature and unique visuals to attract viewers. Despite concerns about its familiarity, Netflix ultimately adopted the name. Hwang aimed for the series to become the most-watched show on Netflix in the United States for at least one day. Originally planned as eight episodes, the series was extended due to the length of the final episode.
Squid Game was released worldwide on September 17, 2021, to critical acclaim and international attention. It became Netflix’s most-watched series and the most-watched program in 94 countries, attracting more than 142 million member households and 1.65 billion viewing hours in its first four weeks, surpassing Bridgerton as the service’s most-watched show.
According to Bloomberg News, by October 2021, Netflix estimated that Squid Game had generated nearly US$900 million in value based on extended viewer data; it cost $21.4 million to produce.
It has received numerous accolades, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for O Yeong-su, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for Lee Jung-jae and HoYeon Jung, respectively; all three were also the first Korean actors to win in those categories. The first season received 14 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including for Outstanding Drama Series, making it the first non-English-language work to be nominated in this category; Lee won the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, the first time an Asian actor won the award for a non-English part.
A second season was officially announced in June 2022, along with a reality competition series titled Squid Game: The Challenge. The second season was released in December 2024, with the third and final season set to release in June 2025.
Squid Game Season 1 Cast & Characters
- Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun (성기훈, 456)
- Park Hae-soo as Cho Sang-woo (조상우, 218)
- Wi Ha-joon as Hwang Jun-ho (황준호)
- Jung Ho-yeon as Kang Sae-byeok (강새벽, 067)
- O Yeong-su as Oh Il-nam (오일남, 001)
- Heo Sung-tae as Jang Deok-su (장덕수, 101)
- Anupam Tripathi as Ali Abdul (알리 압둘, 199)
- Kim Joo-ryoung as Han Mi-nyeo (한미녀, 212)
- Yoo Sung-joo as Byeong-gi (병기, 111)
- Lee Yoo-mi as Ji-yeong (지영, 240)
- Kim Si-hyun as Player 244
- Lee Sang-hee as Do Jung-soo (도정수, 017)
- Kim Yun-tae as Player 069
- Lee Ji-ha as Player 070
- Kwak Ja-hyoung as Player 278
- Christian Lagahit as Player 276
- Kim Young-ok as Oh Mal-soon
- Cho Ah-in as Seong Ga-yeong
- Kang Mal-geum as Kang Eun-ji
- Park Hye-jin as Sang-woo’s mother
- Park Si-wan as Kang Cheol
- Gong Yoo as a salesman who recruits participants for the Game
- Lee Byung-hun as Hwang In-ho
- Lee Jung-jun as Guard
- John D Michaels as VIP #1
- Daniel C Kennedy as VIP #2
- David Lee as VIP #3
- Geoffrey Giuliano as VIP #4
- Stephane Mot as VIP #5
- Michael Davis as VIP #6
Squid Game Season 1 Storyline
In a dystopian South Korea, Seong Gi-hun, a divorced father and indebted gambler who lives with his elderly mother, is invited to play a series of children’s games for a chance at a large cash prize. Accepting the offer, he is taken to an unknown location where he finds himself among 455 other players who are all in deep financial trouble. The players are made to wear green tracksuits and are kept under watch at all times by masked guards in pink jumpsuits, with the games overseen by the Front Man, who wears a black mask and black uniform. The players soon discover that losing a game results in their deaths, with each death contributing ₩100 million to the potential ₩45.6 billion grand prize. Gi-hun allies with other players, including his childhood friend Cho Sang-woo and North Korean defector Kang Sae-byeok, to try to survive the games’ physical and psychological twists.
Squid Game Season 1 Episodes
Squid Game Season 1 Release Date
Squid Game season 1 was released on September 17, 2021.
