"Squid Game" Netflix
After being forced to sell his laptop, the creator of "Squid Game," had to abandon writing the show's script.
Hwang Dong Hyuk was also fired by many studios after he was deemed too unrealistic and grotesque for 10 years.
"Squid Game", Korea's first ever show to reach the top of Netflix's most-watched list in the US, made history.
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According to the Wall Street Journal, the creator of Netflix's hit show "Squid Game," had to stop writing scripts for the show after being forced to sell his laptop to make cash.
The Korean survival drama series debuted on the streaming site on September 17. It centers on a group of adults who are struggling to pay their debts by playing Korean children's games. They win a cash prize worth $45 billion won, or about $40 million USD. But losing these seemingly insignificant games can have deadly consequences.
Hwang Donghyuk, the show’s creator and director, came up with the idea during a stay with his grandmother and mother. However, he was forced to abandon the script in order to pay $675 cash.
The show was acquired by Netflix two years ago. It has been sub-titled in over 30 languages, dubbed into 13 and is currently trending number one worldwide in more than 90 countries. Nearly 95% of the viewers are outside South Korea.
"Squid Game", Korea's first ever show to reach the top spot on Netflix's Top Trending List in the US, also made history.
The show has not always been a huge success since its creation. According to the Journal report, several studios rejected the concept for ten years. They deemed the gory plotline too unrealistic and grotesque.
Hwang stated that he believes the COVID-19 epidemic made Hwang's show more attractive to Netflix. It exacerbated socioeconomic disparities between rich and poor, which plays into the show’s central plotline.
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Hwang stated, citing the Journal report that "the world has changed." All of these points made it very real for people, compared to a decade earlier.
Minyoung Kim is Netflix's vice-president of content for the Asia-Pacific region. The Journal reported that he echoed this sentiment and said that the show also raises moral questions about a person's worth.
She said, "We're not horses, but we're all human." "That's the question that the show really wants you to ask."
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