Looper caught up with Lee Jung-jae for his directorial debut espionage thriller “Hunt,” but we also asked him about his earlier thoughts on the “bittersweet” nature of the success of “Squid Game” and what effect he’d like to see Season 2 of the series have on audiences.
“I actually don’t quite remember the ‘bitter’ of the ‘bittersweet’ comment,” he explained. “The theme that we wanted to convey was perfectly well conveyed, and a lot of the international audiences seem to have sympathized with the theme as well.” International connection is right, as the series netted a record-setting level of viewership for streaming titan Netflix. Consequently, “I would say it was a big success, so I didn’t really have any bitter sentiments,” he said.
It’s understandable to have a level of concern that so many viewers worldwide found resonance in a series that centers on people as desperate as the characters in “Squid Game.” We’re talking about characters in such desperation they’d both risk their lives and send others to their deaths to get out of dire conditions. At the same time, Lee Jung-jae hopes that audiences find meaning in the second season, too.
“For this [next] season, as well,” he claimed, “we will put a lot of effort into making sure that the theme we want to convey is a theme that the audience can sympathize with.” Maintaining audience engagement and connection is, of course, a challenge for every series — and a particularly hefty one when a series is as popular as “Squid Game” — but Lee Jung-jae is embracing that challenge, betting on a season that’s sure to once more hit home for so many.
“Hunt” is available in theaters and on VOD.
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