Did You Know? Squid Game Creator Faced 10 Years of Rejection Before Netflix Turned It Into a $900M Phenomenon

The Squid Game creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, faced 10 years of rejection before Netflix recognized the potential of his unique story. Hwang’s story shows how persistence and imagination can turn a script that was once thrown out into a cultural and financial success. Based on his own experiences with unfair treatment in South Korea, Hwang put all of his heart into the story, which touched people all over the world.

Netflix’s desire to show unusual stories was what made the difference. The platform made Squid Game a worldwide hit by giving Hwang full creative freedom and strategically dubbing and subtitling the series. Within just 28 days of its release, 1.65 billion hours of it were watched.

The Vision Behind Squid Game

In 2008, when Hwang was having trouble with money, he started working on the idea for Squid Game. He wrote a story that showed how unfair society is and how desperate people are, influenced by manga like Battle Royale and his own problems growing up in Seoul’s working-class Ssangmun-dong neighbourhood.

The road wasn’t easy, though. Hollywood turned down the story because it was “too grotesque” and “unrealistic,” and they didn’t care about how complicated it was. Hwang didn’t give up and kept pitching while directing other projects.

Netflix’s Asia division, which was looking for new and risky material in 2019, saw that Hwang’s story would appeal to everyone. The platform put $700M into Korean shows from 2015 to 2020, which made it possible for Squid Game to be successful.

The Making of a Cultural Revolution

With only $21.4M to work with, Hwang carefully made his idea come to life. Each game set was built from scratch, and each costume had a secret purpose. Even though Hwang lost a few teeth because of the stress of working on the project, his attention to detail paid off.

It broke all kinds of records when Squid Game first aired on September 17, 2021. Netflix went to the top of the charts in 94 countries thanks to its global release plan, which included dubbing in 16 languages and subtitles so that everyone could watch.

The Aftermath: A Global Impact

The popularity of Squid Game went beyond the screen. Things like Halloween costumes, TikTok trends, and products were everywhere. Netflix promised to spend an extra $2.5 billion in Korean content, and studios that had turned down Hwang before were looking for ways to work together. The show was nominated for 14 Emmys, which is a huge accomplishment for non-English shows.

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Lessons from Hwang’s Journey

Her story shows how important it is to keep going even when things get hard and how important it is for platforms to be open to hearing different views. Netflix’s bet on Squid Game not only changed Hwang’s life, but it also showed how stories about real-life problems can be appealing to everyone.