(Credits: Netflix)

With the new series now only months away from landing on the streaming service, Netflix has unveiled a new trailer for the second season of Squid Game.

The hit 2021 programme epitomises the power of Netflix, and its ability to turn a niche series into a worldwide phenomenon. Initially, when the Korean show arrived on the streamer, it was to little fanfare, but it slowly crept up the charts, and became much more successful than its creator Hwang Dong-hyuk ever invisioned.

Similarly to 2024’s success story, Richard Gadd’s Baby Reindeer, Squid Game didn’t rely upon an extensive marketing campaign or huge celebrity names attached to the project. However, the power of word-of-mouth can’t be understated, making both shows the biggest in their respective year of launching.

The highly-anticipated second season of Squid Game has been in development for some time, and on December 26th, it’s finally set to arrive on Netflix. The latest glimpse of the new series comes a month after the first teaser trailer was shared by the streaming serive.

The synopsis for the upcoming series reads: “Three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 remains determined to find the people behind the game and put an end to their vicious sport.”

The description continues, “Using this fortune to fund his search, Gi-hun starts with the most obvious of places: look for the man in a sharp suit playing Ddakji in the subway. But when his efforts finally yield results, the path toward taking down the organisation proves deadlier than he imagined: to end the game, he needs to re-enter it.”

Regarding the cast for the new series, Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-jun, and Gong Yoo, who all played characters in the first season, will be returning to Squid Game for another batch of episodes. However, there will also be a number of fresh faces joining the programme, such as Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Lee Jin-uk, Park Gyu-young, Park Sung-hoon.

Filming begun on the second season in July, 2023, according to director Hwang. During an interview with the Korea Herald in December, he said they were still in the production stage, and hinted it “will feature new games and characters, as well as a deeper plot and message.”

Hwang continued: “We have been filming the second season of Squid Game since July with the interest and support of many viewers. We are burdened with the pressure to do well, but we will make sure to repay viewers with a good result.”

Due to the unprecedented success of the first series of Squid Game, it’s natural that Hwang feels pressure to satisfy expectations, and on December 26th, viewers will finally be able to see if it does.