What's next for 'Squid Game' after Season 3? What we know so far
Netflix's juggernaut South Korean horror drama "Squid Game" came to an "unrelentingly bloody and bleak" close June 27 with an ending that hinted at a new beginning.
The new season of "Squid Game" picked up right after Season 2's bloody cliffhanger, and found Gi-hun, aka Player 456 (Lee Jung-jae), "at his lowest point yet."
"But the Squid Game stops for no one," and Gi-hun was "forced to make some important choices in the face of overwhelming despair as he and the surviving players are thrust into deadlier games that test everyone's resolve," according to the season's synopsis.
The viral dystopic show, which centers around main character Gi-hun has delighted fans since its 2021 premiere, combining classic thriller elements with a deeper exploration of the human capacity for evil and the perils of an unequal society. Season 2 of "Squid Game" is currently the third-biggest season of a TV show in Netflix history with 192.6 million views so far, the streamer said.
While we are still recovering from the finale, here is what we know about the future of "Squid Game," including the potential of a spin off.
Three seasons of death: Here's how 'Squid Game' ends with a huge cameo (Spoilers included)
Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox
Will there be 'Squid Game' Season 4?
No. "Squid Game" will not be returning for another season.
Series director, writer, and executive producer Hwang Dong-hyuk, in a letter to fans, had said Season 3 would be the series last.
"I am thrilled to see the seed that was planted in creating a new 'Squid Game' grow and bear fruit through the end of this story," Dong-hyuk said in his letter. "We'll do our best to make sure we bring you yet another thrill ride. I hope you're excited for what's to come."
Dong-hyuk, in a recent interview, told the New York Times he's happy to be done with the series.
"Yeah, I'm very tired," the creator told the media outlet. "I haven't had a deep sleep for a long time. I want to take a rest. Then I want to do feature films."
"I have an idea for my next feature," he added.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle
'Chance' of 'Squid Game' spin off
In the final moments of the show, as In-ho (Lee Byung-hun) drives away from Ga-yeong's house, his SUV stops at a traffic light across from a dirty L.A. alley, where he hears a loud slapping noise. Lo and behold, he spots a suited games recruiter and an American man playing ddakji. And that recruiter isn't just anyone, it's Cate Blanchett, who gives In-ho a knowing look before she goes back to slapping her prey, hinting at the possibility of a new beginning.
While Netflix has not made any announcement regarding this, Dong-hyuk teased at the "possibility" of a spinoff to People at the Season 3 premiere in New York City.
"I cannot just tell right now when and how it's going to happen," he told the media outlet. "But there is a chance."
In a separate interview with Entertainment Weekly published June 25, Hwang Dong-hyuk shared he has been thinking about potentially continuing the story.
"I actually had this faint ideation about possibly a spinoff — not a sequel, but maybe a spinoff about the three-year gap between Season 1 and Season 2 when Gi-hun [Lee Jung-jae] looks around for the recruiters," Hwang told EW. "There is that three-year period, and maybe I could have a portrayal of what the recruiters or Captain Park [Oh Dal-su] or officers or masked men were doing in that period, not inside the gaming arena, but their life outside of that."
"So that is some vague ideation that I have that could possibly be developed in the future," the creator told the media outlet.
'Squid Game': Why everyone is obsessed with Netflix's brutal South Korean horror series
'Squid Game' cast
While "Squid Game" will not be returning for another season, cast members for Season 3 include:
How to watch 'Squid Game' Season 3
All three seasons of "Squid Game" are available to stream on Netflix.
Contributing: Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hypebeast
17 minutes ago
- Hypebeast
Scooter Braun To Step Down as CEO of HYBE America
Summary In a significant development within the global music and entertainment industry,Scooter Braunhas officially stepped down from his role as CEO ofHYBE America, the U.S. subsidiary of the South Korean entertainment giant, HYBE Corporation. The announcement, made today, signals a strategic transition for Braun, who will now move into an executive advisory role. This announcement comes a year after Braunretired from artist management. Braun's departure from the CEO position allows him to pursue new ventures, though he will maintain a close relationship with HYBE. He will continue to serve as a director on HYBE's Board of Directors and take on the role of Senior Advisor to the Chairman and CEO of HYBE, Bang Si-Hyuk. This shift, according to HYBE, enables Braun to explore 'other areas of strategic focus while remaining closely involved with HYBE's long-term vision as one of the company's largest individual shareholders.' HYBE chairman Bang Si-Hyuk said, 'Scooter has been an extraordinary partner, a visionary executive, and a true catalyst for cultural exchange. His contributions have been vital in establishing our ambitious presence in the U.S. market. I am deeply grateful for his leadership, his astute instincts, and his unwavering passion for artists. We wish him immense success in his exciting next chapter and look forward to continuing our partnership in executing HYBE's global vision.' During his tenure as CEO of HYBE America, Braun played a pivotal role in expanding the company's presence in the U.S. market. His leadership saw key acquisitions, including the Atlanta rap powerhouse QC Media Holdings (Quality Control) in 2023 which features catalogs from Lil Baby, Lil Yachty, City Girls and early Migos. His time at HYBE also saw him integrate top-tier talent and executives into the HYBE ecosystem. He also established the foundation for HYBE America's multi-label structure and intellectual property expansion. Isaac Lee, a seasoned entertainment executive who has been leading HYBE Latin America as Chairman since November 2023, will succeed Braun as the new Chairman and CEO of HYBE America. Lee will now oversee major entities like BMLG (Big Machine Label Group) in Nashville and QC Media Holdings in Atlanta, in addition to his continued leadership of HYBE's Latin American operations. In a statement, Braun expressed pride in his time at HYBE, calling it 'one of the most inspiring chapters of my professional journey' and commending Chairman Bang as a 'true visionary and a musical genius.' This leadership restructuring marks a new phase for HYBE America as it continues its ambitious global expansion.
Hamilton Spectator
33 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
2025's best movies (so far) include ‘Sinners,' ‘Sorry Baby' and ‘One of Them Days'
Often the best movies of the second half of the year come almost preordained as the Oscars Industrial Complex revs into high gear. The first half, though, can offer more of a thrill of discovery. The first six months of 2025 have offered plenty of that, including indie gems, comedy breakouts and sensational filmmaking debuts. Here are our 10 favorites from the year's first half. 'The Ballad of Wallis Island' 'The Ballad of Wallis Island' is the kind of charming gem that's easy to recommend to any kind of movie lover. It is goofy and friendly, has an armful of lovely folk songs, an all-timer of a rambling character, in Tim Key's eccentric and completely lovable Charles, Tom Basden's grumpy, too-cool straight man, and the always delightful Carey Mulligan. 'Wallis Island' is a film about letting go and moving on told with humor, wit and a big heart. Also hailing from the British Isles is the equally delightful 'Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.' (streaming on Peacock) —Bahr 'One of Them Days' The big-screen comedy has been an almost extinct creature in recent years, but Lawrence Lamont's 'One of Them Days' gives me hope. Not only was this buddy comedy a surprise box-office hit, it is probably the exhibit A in the case of Keke Palmer Should Be in Everything. She and SZA, in her film debut, play Los Angeles housemates in a madcap race to make rent. (Streaming on Netflix) —Coyle 'Sorry, Baby' There's a sequence in Eva Victor's delicate, considered and disarmingly funny directorial debut, 'Sorry, Baby' that kind of took my breath away. You know something bad is going to happen to Agnes, it's literally the logline of the film. You sense that her charismatic thesis adviser is a bit too fixated on her. The incident itself isn't seen, Victor places their camera outside of his home. Agnes goes inside, the day turns to evening and the evening turns to night, and Agnes comes out, changed. But we stay with her as she finds her way to her car, to her home and, most importantly to her friend, Lydie (Naomi Ackie). This is a film about what happens after the bad thing. And it's a stunner. (In theaters) —Bahr 'Black Bag' Arguably the best director-screenwriter tandem this decade has been Steven Soderbergh and David Koepp . They were behind the pandemic thriller 'Kimi' and another standout of 2025, the ghost-POV 'Presence.' But their spy thriller-marital drama 'Black Bag,' starring Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett as married British intelligence agents, may be their best collaboration yet. It's certainly the one with the most delicious dialogue. How has it taken the movies this long to make a dinner scene with spies dosed with truth serum? (Streaming on Peacock) —Coyle 'Materialists' Celine Song's 'Materialists ' might not be the film people wanted it to be, but it's the film they need in this land of high-end dating apps, designer dupes and everyone pretending to live like minor socialites on Instagram. A thoughtful meditation on money, worth, love and companionship, this is a film that upends everything we've come to think we want from the so-called romantic comedy (the idea of prince charming, the inexplicable wealth that's supposed to coexist with middle class mores). Lifestyle porn will always have a place in the rom-com machine, but this is a populist film, both modern and timeless, that reminds us that love should be easy. It should feel like coming home. 'Materialists' is simply the most purely romantic film of the year. (In theaters) — Bahr 'Sinners' Not only does the wait go on for Ryan Coogler to make a bad movie, he seems to be still realizing his considerable talents. There are six months to go, still, in 2025, but I doubt we'll have a big scale movie that so thrillingly doubles (see what I did there) as a personal expression for its filmmaker as 'Sinners.' This exhilarating vampire saga is ambitiously packed with deep questions about community, Black entertainment, Christianity and, of course, Irish dancing. (Streaming on Max) —Coyle 'Pavements' In a world of woefully straightforward documentaries and biopics about musicians, Alex Ross Perry decided to creatively, and a little chaotically, upend the form with his impossible-to-categorize film about the 90s indie band Pavement . Blending fact, fiction, archive, performance, this winkingly rebellious piece is wholly original and captivating, and, not unlike Todd Haynes's 'I'm Not There,' the kind of movie to turn someone who's maybe enjoyed a few Pavement and Stephen Malkmus songs into a fan. (In theaters, streaming on MUBI July 11) —Bahr 'April' A rare and exquisite precision guides Dea Kulumbegashvili's rigorous and despairing second feature . Beneath stormy spring skies in the European country of Georgia, a leading local obstetrician (Ia Sukhitashvili) pitilessly works to help women who are otherwise disregarded, vilified or worse. This is a movie coursing with dread, but its expression of a deep-down pain is piercing and unforgettable. (Not currently available) —Coyle 'On Becoming a Guinea Fowl' A visually, and thematically arresting marvel, Rungano Nyoni's darkly comedic, stylish and hauntingly bizarre film about unspoken generational trauma takes audiences to a place, I'm guessing, many have never been: A Zambian family funeral. And yet its truths ring universal, as the elder generation turns their heads from the awful truth that the dead man, Fred, was a predator and pedophile, while the younger wonders if things must stay as they are. (Streaming on HBO Max on July 4) —Bahr 'Friendship' On TV, Tim Robinson and Nathan Fielder have been doing genius-level comedy. Fielder hasn't yet jumped into his own films, but, then again, it's hard to get an epic of cringe comedy and aviation safety like season two of 'The Rehearsal' into a feature-length movie. But in 'Friendship,' writer and director Andrew DeYoung brings Robinson, star of 'I Think You Should Leave,' into well-tailored, very funny and dementedly perceptive movie scenario. He plays a man who awkwardly befriends a cool neighbor (Paul Rudd). While their differences make for most of the comedy in the movie, 'Friendship' — which culminates in a telling wink — is really about their similarities. (Available for digital rental) — Coyle
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
NASA to Launch New Livestream Service on Netflix Starting This Summer
NASA to Launch New Livestream Service on Netflix Starting This Summer originally appeared on L.A. Mag. NASA+ will offer live programming of rocket launches, astronaut spacewalks, mission coverage, and live views of Earth from the International Space Station through its new streaming platform on Netflix. 'The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 calls on us to share our story of space exploration with the broadest possible audience,' Rebecca Sirmons, general manager of NASA+ at the agency's headquarters in Washington said. 'Together, we're committed to a Golden Age of Innovation and Exploration – inspiring new generations – right from the comfort of their couch or in the palm of their hand from their phone.'NASA+ first launched in 2023 to make space content more accessible to the public. The service will continue to be available for free and ad-free through the NASA app and website. NASA wrote that they hope to bring even more awareness to their work through Netflix's global audience of more than 700 million people. 'Through this partnership, NASA's work in science and exploration will become even more accessible, allowing the agency to increase engagement with and inspire a global audience in a modern media landscape,' Cheryl Warner, NASA news chief, wrote in a press schedules will drop closer to launch day, so Netflix advises viewers to check for more details in the coming weeks. This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
