‘Squid Game’ creator reveals why he made season two
Squid Game was a massive hit for Netflix, and its creator said he made season two so he could earn money.
Hwang Dong-hyuk often said he could not profit much from the season because he claimed the streamer gave the license fee for the show he was struggling to make for over a decade.
When the series became such a super-hit, it ultimately had him cut offcut off from the massive back-end revenues.
“Even though the first series was such a huge global success, honestly, I didn’t make much,” he told the BBC.
“So doing the second series will help compensate me for the success of the first one too. And I didn’t fully finish the story,” the maker added.
Hwang’s remarks gave an insight into the disagreement the creators and streamers have been facing over the profit-sharing formula.
Last year, Netflix’s VP of Content for Korea, Don Kang, said: “We’re working very hard to reward our creators fairly and at the most competitive level possible.”
He continued, “We pay upfront sums that reflect what could be calculated as residuals, which in most cases lead to compensation at a higher level than if residuals were paid.”