As Squid Game finale approaches, a look back at creator Hwang Dong-hyuk's prior work including Silenced, Miss Granny

Time of India

3 days ago

As the Squid Game finale approaches, series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk's past body of work has garnered increased attention and popularity. This has been the case as early as season 1's runaway success, with Netflix listing Hwang Dong-hyuk's past work such as Silenced and Miss Granny on the streaming service after it became clear that Squid Game was turning out to be a smash hit.
Prior to Squid Game's success, however, Hwang Dong-hyuk had often struggled to get his projects off the ground. In fact, the idea for Squid Game itself came up when he was unsuccessfully trying to pitch a different movie idea. With Squid Game season 3 right around the corner, however, it's worth revisiting the acclaimed and impactful body of work Hwang Dong-hyuk has been producing for over a decade.
Squid Game creator began his career with My Father and Silenced
Hwang Dong-hyuk began his filmmaking career with a number of short films such as Heaven and Hell and Desperation. He then attracted international attention with 2004's Miracle Mile, which won the Director's Guild of America (DGA) Student Award and a Student Emmy Award.Hwang Dong-hyuk's feature film debut was 2007's My Father, which focused on the true story of Korean-American Aaron Bates, who went on national television in search of his birth parents, only to discover his biological father was a death row convict.
Hwang Dong-hyuk's next film, 2011's Silenced, was based on the real-life sexual abuse scandal involving the Gwangju Inhwa School for the deaf. The school had been subject to a 2005 investigation which implicated the faculty and the principal in the abuse and molestation of their own students.Silenced brought the scandal back into South Korea's public consciousness and resulting in the reopening of investigations regarding the school, making it among Hwang Dong-hyuk's most impactful works. The film stars Gong Yoo, who also plays the salesman in Squid Game, and is available for streaming on Netflix.
Hwang Dong-hyuk went on to direct Miss Granny and The Fortress
After the heavy themes explored in My Father and Silenced, Hwang Dong-hyuk went for lighter fare with his next directorial effort, 2014's Miss Granny. The film's premise followed a 74-year old woman, who one day regains the appearance of her 20-year old self after a visit to a mysterious photo studio.Speaking at a Koran Film Council press conference for the film, Hwang Dong-hyuk addressed the lighthearted nature of the film by confirming that it was a deliberate creative decision. Miss Granny is available for streaming on Netflix and has been remade in India as 2019's Telegu release Oh! Baby.
In 2017, Hwang Dong-hyuk directed The Fortress, which was an adaptation of Kim Hoon's historical fiction novel Namhansanseong. The film follows the real-life Qing dynasty's invasion of Joseon, and how the embattled King Injo and his retainers sought refuge in the titular fortress. The film stars Lee Byung-hun, who'd go on to play the Front Man in Squid Game.