Squid Game's creator and director, Hwang Dong Hyuk, wants Netflix to stop blowing up his phone.
In an interview with Variety, Hwang revealed why he's "so sick" of Squid Game since the show's unexpected evolution into a business empire.
While any casual watcher of the show can gather its anti-capitalist themes and criticism of the ruling class, Hwang says that ironically, the show's popularity has encouraged consumerism and increased demands from Netflix.
Read more: 'Squid Game' Creator Says It Was 'Near Impossible' to Cast A Real Trans Woman For Season 2 Character
After the show's meteoric success, Netflix capitalized with the 2023 competition series Squid Game: The Challenge as they waited for Hwang's scripts for season two.
It didn't end there. Then came the multiplayer mobile game "Squid Game: Unleashed," and the VR adventure "Squid Game: Virtuals." And did we mention "Squid Game: The Experience," an immersive installation installed in New York's Madison Square Garden in October?
The showrunner revealed that initially, he had no plans to continue Squid Game past its season one run and claims to even have lost eight or nine teeth during the first season's production due to stress.
"I had no intention of doing a second season, because the overall process of writing, producing, and directing the series was so challenging. I didn't think to do another one," Hwang said to Variety.
The only reason he agreed to sign on for a second (and third) season was because the success of the first season "gave me the courage and motivation" to write more.
Though he still has one more season to go following the release of the show's season two on December 26, the director is already looking ahead to greener pastures.
"I'm so exhausted. I'm so tired. In a way, I have to say, I'm so sick of Squid Game," Hwang said.
"I'm so sick of my life making something, promoting something. So I'm not thinking about my next project right now. I'm just thinking about going to some remote island and having my own free time without any phone calls from Netflix. Not the Squid Game island," he clarified.
