Squid Game Creator Says He “Lost Nine Teeth” While Filming The Show

The creator of the popular Netflix drama Squid Game has revealed that he lost “eight or nine” teeth due to the immense stress of creating the series, the BBC reported. 

The South Korean thriller became a massive success after its 2021 debut, with Netflix estimating that over 142 million households watched it within the first 28 days. The show follows hundreds of financially desperate contestants who participate in deadly children’s games for a chance at a life-changing cash prize. Season 2 is set to premiere on Netflix on December 26 this year.

Hwang Dong-hyuk, the show’s creator, told the BBC that he was so overwhelmed with stress while filming season one that he lost nine teeth-a higher number than previously reported. Initially, the workload was so intense that Hwang was reluctant to film a second season, but the potential for financial compensation changed his mind.

“Even though the first series was such a huge global success, honestly, I didn’t make much,” Hwang explained. “So doing the second series will help make up for the success of the first one.”

“And I didn’t fully finish the story,” he added.

With nearly all the characters killed off in the first season, Hwang now faces the challenge of creating a new cast and set of games from scratch. The show’s fictional previous winner, Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), will return with a mission to take down the game and protect the new contestants.

The second season is also expected to address viewers’ lingering questions, such as what drives the masked Front Man who runs the game and the true purpose behind it.

In November, Netflix launched the first season of its spin-off reality series, Squid Game: The Challenge, in which 456 contestants competed in games inspired by the show for a record-breaking $4.56 million prize.