Squid Game is the star premiere of the Netflix streaming platform for September. This South Korean series was a resounding worldwide success since its premiere on September 17, thanks to the intriguing story that revolves around a group of people with economic problems who accept an invitation to compete in games that turn out to be lethal challenges in exchange for a tempting prize. Given the disturbing scenarios, many viewers have wondered if this series is inspired by real events.
Squid Game
The series, written and directed by Dong-hyuk Hwang, is not based on real events but inspired by the creator’s love for comics. Hwang told this at a press conference, according to The Cinemaholic platform.
“After debuting with My Father, I read a lot of comics and got hooked on the survival game genre. In an attempt to create a Korean version, I started planning the work in 2008 and culminated the idea in 2009.”
According to the author, it took him so long to finally develop the project because choosing actors and fundraising were difficult processes.
“The idea of a winner of the game becoming rich was not welcome. The brutality and cruelty of the games were cause for concern. I had to put the idea in a drawer.”
Is Squid Game based on real events?
Netflix finally accepted the project. Although it is not based on real events, the filmmaker revealed that the title refers to his favorite childhood game: “I thought the game was a perfect metaphor for our highly competitive society.”
The survival genre is in full swing, not only thanks to Squid Game. At the end of 2020, Netflix released the Japanese fiction Alice in Borderland, which has a similar premise to this South Korean piece of fiction. Other titles such as the Japanese cult film Battle Royale or the most popular saga of The Hunger Games have popularized this genre on the big screen.
Translated by María Isabel Carrasco Cara Chards
