Hwang Dong-hyuk has spent the most of his working life in front of the camera. Squid Game was his first Korean drama, and it was not without its difficulties. From financial difficulties to rejections from major production companies, Hwang crafted the plot over a ten-year period. Fans may be startled to find that bringing Squid Game to life also forced the filmmaker to grind his teeth.
Before joining Netflix to create his debut K-drama, the director of Squid Game was more recognised for his work on the big screen. His first film, My Father, was released in 2007, and it dealt with the subject of adoption. Silence, Hwang’s film, was a huge hit in South Korea in 2011. The plot is based on true incidents that occurred at Gwangju Inhwa School, in which deaf pupils were sexually raped. Hwang’s film The Fortress, which starring Lee Byung-hun, who portrays Front Man in Squid Game, was also a hit in 2017. Hwang’s financial difficulties and opinions on a flawed capitalism system inspired the Netflix K-drama in 2021. The director’s debut K-drama, as well as his first time turning a screenplay into a full-fledged episodic script, is Squid Game.
It’s not simple to transition from a huge screen to a small one. Making Squid Game had its own set of obstacles, since Hwang had never developed a narrative and storyline for a multi-episode series before. The concept of preparing a season 2 is “very taxing simply thinking about it,” the filmmaker recently stated in a variety interview. That’s not all, as the Squid Game director revealed to Vulture that the K-drama caused him to lose six teeth.
“I had to write and direct each of the nine episodes entirely on my own.” It was a physically demanding task, and I felt enormous pressure and responsibility psychologically and emotionally,” Hwang added. He had to sacrifice sleep in order to devote himself to Squid Game. However, when filming The Fortress, six of his teeth were already in horrible health.
Hwang was unable to attend the dentist to get his teeth properly fixed due to his commitment to the Netflix K-drama. “After Squid Game was over, I went to the dentist, and the doctor told me I needed all six teeth removed. It would have been preferable if I hadn’t lost my teeth, but I’d have been devastated if the play had failed.” Hwang says that the affection and acclaim for Squid Game compensates for the loss of his teeth.
