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Geek Culture
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
'Squid Game' Season 3 Breaks Netflix Viewership Record
Within a mere 10 days, Squid Game Season 3 has amassed a total of 106.3 million views, becoming the first Netflix series, in any language, to achieve that in two weeks. This was after the popular Korean show jumped onto the streaming platform's list of most popular non-English series of all time in the 9th position, thanks to a whopping 60.1 million views garnered in just three days from its opening. As of this article, it has leapt up to the 3rd position, outranked only by its own earlier seasons. Top 10 Most Popular Non-English Shows of All Time Even factoring in Netflix's English-language shows, Squid Game Season 3's ranking is still outstanding, losing out only to Wednesday Season 1 (2022) with 252.1 million views, Adolescence (2025) with 142.6 million views, Stranger Things Season 4 (2016) with 140.7 million views, Dahmer: Monster (2022) with 115.6 million views, Bridgerton Season 1 (2020) with 113.3 million views and The Queen's Gambit (2020) with 112.8 million views, all of which had 91 days to attain those totals. Taking the time window into consideration, Squid Game Season 3 is highly likely to climb a few more ranks, given that it still has an ample 81 days before the viewership numbers are finalised. Top 10 Most Popular Shows of All Time The release of Squid Game Season 3 also brought positive externalities to its earlier two seasons, with Squid Game Season 2 (2024) and Squid Game Season 1 (2021) amassing 4.9 million views and 3.8 million views, respectively, within the period from 30 June to 6 July. With Squid Game Season 3 clocking in 46.3 million views within the same period, it has become the highest-viewed Netflix title for the week, with its two earlier seasons coming in at second and third place on the non-English chart. Top 10 Non-English Shows of the Week The second place for the highest-viewed Netflix title of the week goes to The Old Guard 2 , starring Charlize Theron ( Mad Max: Fury Road ) and Uma Thurman ( Kill Bill Vol. 1 ), which accumulated 37.5 million views. The film's release also drew attention to its predecessor, The Old Guard (2020), which garnered 9.5 million views in the same week. Top 10 Movies of the Week Meanwhile, KPop Demon Hunters also charted in third place for the highest-viewed Netflix title of the week, with 22.7 million views. This led it to rank second on the English movies chart as well for its second consecutive week. Conversation with Ting Wei is like chatting with a weird AI bot programmed only with One Piece lore and theories, sitcom quotes and other miscellaneous pop culture references. When he's not sleeping, he's highly likely reading manga. In fact, the only thing he reads more than manga is the Bible, and it's honestly pretty close. Netflix Squid Game Squid Game Season 3
India Today
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Squid Game Season 3 breaks records for Netflix but the game isn't over yet
Three days since its premiere, Netflix's number-one show 'Squid Game Season 3' has garnered over 60.1 million views, and earned a place in the platform's all-time charts. The final season may be closing the chapter on Gi-hun's story, but its legacy is only growing bolder, bloodier, and more last Friday, June 27, 'Squid Game Season 3' has not only topped Netflix's global Top 10 but also shattered records, becoming the biggest-ever TV launch in the streamer's history. Clocking 368.4 million hours viewed in just 72 hours, it has outpaced nearly all debut metrics—even when compared to the Season 2's 68 million views, which were garnered over four Netflix data juggernaut has already placed the third season as the ninth most-watched non-English-language TV show of all time, despite its brief time on air. For context, Squid Game Season 1 still holds the top spot, followed closely by its sophomore run. Few franchises can claim such a consistent reign over global streaming some critics calling the new season 'less nuanced,' the finale delivered enough drama and high-stakes strategy to satisfy core fans. Gi-hun's final arc, aiming to dismantle the operation from within, hit the emotional and socio-political beats that first made the show a breakout success in 2021. Actor Lee Jung-jae's quiet gravitas as 456, paired with Lee Byung-hun's enigmatic Front Man, kept the narrative sharp, even if not as shocking. But numbers aside, what Season 3 truly cements is Squid Game's transformation from viral sensation to long-term franchise. Netflix's previous reality show, Squid Game: The Challenge, saw solid success, with a second season already greenlit. And with Cate Blanchett making a cameo in the season, buzz around a US adaptation has been rife. The rumours also suggest that David Fincher might helm the US adaptation. Given Fincher's ability to craft tension-laced thrillers ('Gone Girl', 'Mindhunter', The Killer), he may just be the one to reinterpret Squid Game for Western Squid Game Season 3 review hereSeries creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has acknowledged the buzz, stating he hasn't heard anything official yet but would offer creative support if asked. 'If it's the US version that they're making, I think sharing of ideas would be enough,' he its debut in 2021, Squid Game has redefined what a Korean-language drama can do on the global stage. It opened doors for a wave of K-content—from All of Us Are Dead to The Glory—and proved that language is no barrier to impact when the story hits deep. It became the first non-English-language series to win at the Emmys and quickly turned its cast into household Game's growing legacy includes:Season 1: No. 1 most-watched non-English-language TV series on 2: Held Netflix's premiere week record in 2023 with 68 million views in four 3: Most-viewed Netflix title over a debut weekend (60.1M views in 3 days), and already 9th most popular non-English TV show of all major players on the non-English global chart include Money Heist Parts 3-5, Lupin Parts 1 and 2, La Palma, and Who Killed Sara? Season 1 but none have quite maintained the same level of viewership dominance across three consecutive Next?While the core story may be over, Squid Game the phenomenon is just getting started. Netflix has struck gold, and it knows it. Between competition spin-offs, rumours of Western remakes, and a fandom that thrives on theories and moral dilemmas, Squid Game has all the makings of a streaming Season 3's early numbers are any indication, the game might not be over, at least for Netflix.- EndsYou May Also Like
Pink Villa
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Squid Game 3 stuns with surprise cameos from TOP, Jung Ho Yeon, Cate Blanchett and more: Check out full list
Disclaimer: This article contains Squid Game 3 spoilers. Squid Game Season 3 has finally arrived, with Lee Jung Jae and Lee Byung Hun bringing the series to a dramatic close. Squid Game 3, starring Lee Jung Jae and Lee Byung Hun, delivered a heart-wrenching finale. By crafting an emotionally-rich narrative, the series left an indelible mark on viewers' hearts. Furthermore, the inclusion of several cameos, including appearances by stars from previous seasons, enhanced the thrill of the series. Squid Game 3: Cameos from T.O.P and other previous season stars Squid Game 2's eliminated (killed) characters Thanos (T.O.P) and Se Mi (Won Ji An) appear in an hallucination segment. The timid Park Min Su (David Lee) gets his hands on some of Thanos' drugs and ingests it to muster up courage to continue playing the deadly games. As a reaction to that, his body starts feeling weird and he feels a sudden sense of euphoria. Not being in his right mind, he hallucinates Thanos, his bully and Se Mi, the only one who stayed by his side in the game show. He visualises the duo trying to drag him down to death with them. Kang Sae Byeok (Jung Ho Yeon) from Squid Game Season 1 also makes a cameo in the third instalment. Song Gi Hun (Lee Jung Jae) imagines her stopping him from killing everybody to save Kim Jun Hee's (Jo Yu Ri) baby. The situation arises as Song Gi Hun is offered by the Front Man to kill everybody who wanted to kill the baby, who is now player 222 in place of their dead mother. Besides the Korean actors, the series also featured a notable cameo from a prominent Hollywood figure. Cate Blanchett's cameo in Squid Game Season 3 ending In the final scene of Squid Game season 3, Australian actress Cate Blanchett makes a surprise cameo appearance as a recruiter. Her role is similar to Gong Yoo's character from the first two seasons. She is seen playing ddakji with a man in an alleyway in Los Angeles when she makes eye contact with the Front Man, who watches her from a car. The scene strongly suggests a potential American spin-off series is in development.
Pink Villa
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Squid Game cost more than millions and blood—Creator Hwang Dong Hyuk lost 10 teeth while making 3 seasons
Squid Game Season 3 is inching closer to its much-anticipated release on June 27, 2025. Fans are bracing themselves for another round of high-stakes challenges and shocking twists. But while the show is known for putting its characters through brutal survival games, it turns out the creator faced a struggle of his own. The real-life toll it has taken on Hwang Dong Hyuk is just as intense (if not more). Creator reveals dental health issues due to filming stress In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, series creator, writer, and director Hwang Dong Hyuk opened up about the health toll he endured. He discussed the physical and emotional strain he experienced during the production of Squid Game. He revealed that stress from filming latest chapters caused him to lose two more teeth, on top of the multiple teeth he lost while working on the first season. Fans may recall that following the global success of Squid Game Season 1 in 2021, Hwang had confessed to losing several teeth due to the immense pressure and workload. However, the toll has only worsened. 'I thought it was going to be okay, but this time I had to pull out two more teeth as well,' he shared. 'I had to pull out about eight teeth in Season 1, and now I have two more out, and I haven't put them back in yet. So I'm waiting for them.' Filming seasons 2 and 3 back-to-back brought new challenges Despite having the Squid Game universe fully fleshed out in his mind, Hwang admitted that working on two seasons simultaneously was exhausting. The team had to shoot and write Season 2 and Season 3 back-to-back, treating them as one massive project. Filming spanned nearly a year, with little room for rest or recovery. 'It was as if we were making one season, and we tried as best as we could to bring in Season 3 as fast as possible,' he explained. 'So the total amount was much larger, and we had to shoot for around one year, so it was very physically demanding.' Stress and dental health: Is there a link? Hwang's dental troubles are not unheard of. Experts agree that chronic stress can lead to serious dental problems. It includes teeth grinding (bruxism), jaw clenching, gum disease, and enamel erosion. All of which can contribute to tooth loss over time. Season 3 promises higher stakes The new season is expected to continue the story from where Season 2 left off, following Seong Gi Hun (Lee Jung Jae) and the mysterious Front Man (Lee Byung Hun). As the games escalate and moral boundaries are tested, Hwang promises an even darker, more intense chapter. Whether or not Squid Game Season 3 becomes another global sensation, one thing is clear: behind the thrilling screen is a creator who has given his all (literally and figuratively) to bring the story to life.
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Ahead of 'Squid Game 3,' enjoy the recap of 'Squid Game' seasons 1 and 2: All about the greedy participants, thrilling games and more
Blood, Sweat, and Tears might be the definition of 'Squid Game,' but it's the betrayal and greed that run deep into the veins of the series. The game is infiltrated with traitors, and it's normal than you would expect. Whether the uniforms are green or pink, it's the deadly games that keep the series alive with thrills. 01:25 Squid Game Season 3 Teaser: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun Starrer Squid Game Season 3 Official Teaser Squid Game Season 1 Recap We meet the lead, Seong Gi-hun , whose luck is as stale as a rotten fish, and he suffers through every twist and turn life could ever provide - until he encounters a man in a black suit. Operation Sindoor After Pak dials India, both sides agree to stop firing; top military officials to talk on May 12 'Armed forces remain operationally ready': India after ceasefire announcement 'Any future act of terror will ...': India's big stand against Pak The recruiter challenges him (slaps him brutally) with a game to win a monetary reward. With the desperation for the money, he agrees, and so do the other 455 participants. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo All 456 members in green jumpsuits are made to compete against each other to win a massive cash prize. The games are judged by the cameras and controlled by the men in pink with lethal weapons in their hands. Well, don't forget the marks on the mask - the circle-marked soldiers have the lowest hierarchy, and do the guarding; the triangle-marked soldiers kill the participants upon failing the task and take the dead bodies to the crematorium; and the square-marked soldiers controlled the games, and announced instructions while communicating with the front man. Along with Seong Gi-hun, the other pivotal characters are Player 218, Cho Sang-woo , who is the old friend of the lead and is equally in debt; Player 001, Oh Il-nam, who is he oldest amongst the participants; Player 067, Kang Sae-byeok , the North Korean woman who pickpocketed him outside the game and wants better life for her family; Player 199, Ali, the Pakistani player; Player 212, Han Mi-nyeo, the woman who changes her face faster than chameleon to side with allies; and Player 101, the OG gangster with a knife. The thrilling game of 'Red Light, Green Light' turns into Red Blood on Green Jumpsuits . While the lead characters are not dead, they vote to get out of the game and not take any money, as they realise those who fail do not get eliminated, they're encountered. However, they return from the real world for money. Soon after joining, the players start to form allies. As the heart skips a beat throughout the games, the 'dalgona' game and the 'tug-of-war' game occur. While the life-threatening games are running on the front, the soldiers at the back are using the opportunity to sell the dead bodies' organs. With the fights or food and confrontations, the participants move forward to the 'marbles' game where the allies turn to foes, and stab the back without restricting themselves from twisting it even further. As the games progress, the 'glass tile' game even drops jaws further, where the participants seek revenge. At the finale, Gi-hun is the winner, after his opponent, Sang-woo, stabs himself. No! That's not the end. The mind-boggling, gasping twist is yet to be dropped. Player 001, Oh Il-nam, is revealed to be the creator of the game and even participates in it for fun because he was dying! When Gi-hun is leaving for the United States, he notices the recruiter inviting someone to the game. While he tries to chase him down, the recruiter escapes. Well, Gi-hun dramatically states that he cannot forgive him, and changes his decision. Squid Game Season 2 Recap Now that the playtime begins again, Season 2 brings new characters that bring humour, thrill, massive rage, and all the answers to what could go wrong. Three years after Gi-hun dyed his hair red, he goes to the island again - to stop the games - forever. For someone whose fate was stale, Seong Gi-hun survives the game of russian roulette against the recruiter, who dies. While Gi-hun is cautious in the second season, he cooperates with the police and keeps a tracker with him, only to find out that it was taken before he entered. The instructions state that after each game, the players can choose to suspend the games or continue on their own will. In descending order, the players are supposed to vote, and Player 001, Oh Young-il, chooses the last vote. Guess who is Player 001? It's the Front Man himself! Along with Seong Gi-hun, there are other pivotal players as well. We meet Player 320, Thanos , the reckless and nonchalant participant to ever exist; Player 044, Seon-nye, the scary woman with the prophesies; Player 390, Jung-bae , the best friend of Seong Gi-hun; Player 222, Jo Yuri , the pregnant young girl who is trapped in the game after a bad investment from her ex-boyfriend; Player 333, Myung-gi, the influencer brat boyfriend in question whose decisions led to loss of thousand of people's money; Player 149, Geum-ja, and Player 007, Yong-sik, the mother-son duo who is co-dependent on every step. Although some fan theorists have wild speculations about Player 149 being related to the Frontman . After Gi-hun helps the participants with the first 'Red Light, Green Light' game, everybody trusts him and chooses to play further. As the expected game is the 'dalgona' game, they are pretty chilled out, but the games are not the same. As it turns out, the second game consists of five mini-games played by a team of five, and is supposed to be completed in five minutes. The next game, 'mingle,' created a storm on the internet with its catchy tune and the game itself. The participants had to mingle around the floor, and as soon as the tune stopped, they had to run to the rooms according to the announced number of participants. Furthermore, Thanos is killed with a fork by the aforementioned influencer, and Jung-bae gets brutally killed by the Frontman in front of Seong Gi-hun. While the Frontman's identity is not revealed, he makes Gi-hun feel guilty for his best friend's death because he decided to rebel against the game, format, soldiers and the Frontman himself. However, with the questions and never-ending theories, Season 3 is awaited by all the fans for the unanswered plot twists of the previous seasons. Hwang Dong-hyuk's 'Squid Game' is one of the highest-ranking series in the world, charting the lists and breaking the record.
