Squid Game creator talks US version and how a minor S3 detail could set up prequel

Squid Game's third and final season appears to have set up not one, but two potential spin-offs.

This is on account of its dark twists, its shocking deaths and its tantalising teases regarding the franchise's future.

Before S3's release, JOE published a spoiler-free article featuring interviews with the creator, writer and director Hwang Dong-hyuk, as well as several cast members. You can read that at this link.

Here, though, we will be getting into spoilers about what transpires in season 3 and what could be next for the world of Squid Game.

In the run-up to S3, Director Hwang had said that while the third season would be the end of this particular Squid Game story, he was not ruling out spin-offs in the future.

He followed through on this promise in the finale, with our hero Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), dying in a noble sacrifice. This is as it's suggested that the central competition, where poor people play dark and deadly twists on children's games for money, will continue, albeit in a different iteration.

On the topic of spin-offs, Hwang told JOE that, in fact, he is currently most interested in making a prequel to Squid Game depicting the history of some of the villainous characters like The Front Man, The Recruiter and Captain Park.

The creator, director and writer said the idea for this came from the photograph that appears in episode three of season three, which exposes the seemingly benevolent Captain Park as being in cahoots with the organisers of the killer games.

The picture in question shows Park and The Recruiter smiling together, holding two big fish that they caught.

Hwang told JOE:

When JOE spoke to Hwang, he was much more tight-lipped on rumours that Netflix is working on a Squid Game USA series. It had been reported that David Fincher (Mindhunter) would produce the US version, with Dennis Kelly (Utopia) on writing duties.

Hwang told us:

"I have also heard the rumours about a Squid Game USA, but I haven't had any updates. There hasn't been much talk about that, honestly.

"So, I don't know officially where it stands as of now. I can't say much about that."

We'd take these comments with a pinch of salt, however. Netflix didn't release the final episode of season three to interviewees before they spoke to the cast and crew.

Indeed, the final moments of S3 see The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) in Los Angeles, where he witnesses a new recruiter for the Squid Game (played in a cameo by two-time Oscar-winner and previous Fincher collaborator Cate Blanchett) at work - suggesting the killer competition has made it to the States.

Perhaps Director Hwang just did not want to spoil the big surprise.

Either way, we'd be surprised if you didn't hear an official update from Netflix about Squid Game USA in the coming months.

One character who got a surprisingly happy ending as S3 wrapped up was No-eul (Park Gyu-young), the former North Korean soldier turned killer pink guard who eventually rebelled against her masters.

The season closed with her travelling to China. This was after getting a lead that her long-lost, believed to be dead, child was living in the country.

Speaking to JOE, actress Park told JOE that she "desperately" wants to be part of any upcoming Squid Game spin-off.

"I really really enjoyed this, being part of the Squid Game. I would definitely want to join... I don't care what character it would be," she told JOE.

All three seasons of Squid Game are streaming now on Netflix.