Latest news with #ending
CNET
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
Squid Game Creator Unveils Scrapped Ending Fans Are Calling Better Than the Original
Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has revealed that season 3 almost had an enormously different ending -- an ending that might have gone over better with fans who are still divided over how the hit series wrapped. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hwang said he originally wrote an ending where Player 456, Seong Gi-hun, leaves the deadly games behind for good. That's a huge contrast to the version that actually aired, in which Gi-hun sacrifices his life in the end for the new Player 222. Hwang shared that his original plan for the Netflix series was far more hopeful. Gi-hun, the show's main character, would have ended the game, left alive and reunited with his daughter in the US. "In the beginning, I had a vague idea about how I would end the story. And back then, it was having Gi-hun end the game, in one way or another, and leave alive and go see his daughter in America," Hwang said. "So originally, I thought the person who witnesses the American recruiter woman would be Gi-hun." But over time, Hwang said the story evolved as he reflected on current events and the show's larger message. "I was witnessing more and more what was happening around the world," he said, and ultimately decided that Gi-hun's sacrifice should carry a heavier meaning. "I thought it was more fitting for Gi-hun to send this powerful and impactful message to the world," Hwang explained, adding that the darker ending was meant to reflect the urgent sacrifices needed in today's world to secure a better future. Read also: How to Watch Squid Game Season 3 on Netflix Audience reactions to the season 3 finale It's a choice that didn't sit well with a big chunk of the Squid Game fanbase. Some felt the final twist betrayed Gi-hun's character arc, especially after he spent two seasons suffering immense trauma and appearing to prioritize his family's safety. Others found it too bleak and open-ended, sparking passionate discussions -- and plenty of memes -- online. This isn't the first time a Squid Game finale has stirred controversy. When Season 1 premiered in 2021, the series became a global phenomenon almost overnight, smashing Netflix records and turning its bleak social commentary into must-watch television. But even then, the final episodes left fans divided. Now, Hwang's ending is fueling speculation about whether the show's final season will actually set up for a US spin-off show. Talk of a possible US spin-off Hwang emphasized that Cate Blanchett's surprise cameo as an American recruiter in the Los Angeles finale wasn't meant to set up a future spin-off, but rather to underline a broader thematic point. He clarified to The Hollywood Reporter that he "didn't end it on that note in order to deliberately leave room for further stories to happen," explaining that the storyline for Gi‑hun and the Front Man in Korea truly came to a close. He said that the American recruiter scene was crafted to symbolize the enduring nature of capitalist systems. That said, Hwang acknowledged rumors of a David Fincher–linked American version and said he'd watch it if it was made, but as of now, there's no official confirmation from Netflix. Season 3 smashes Netflix records Despite flak for the finale, the final season of Squid Game shattered launch records across the globe. The season garnered 60.1 million views in just three days, making it Netflix's biggest-ever TV series debut on the platform. That translates to 368.4 million hours watched over the same 72-hour span. The show became the ninth most-watched non‑English Netflix season of all time, while seasons 1 and 2 remain in the top two slots. Also, season 3 debuted at No. 1 in all 93 countries that report Netflix Top 10 metrics, which is an unprecedented feat. Read more: Netflix Review: Our Top Pick in a Sea of Streaming Choices
Forbes
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Squid Game' Creator's Alternate Season 3 Ending Is Way Better
Squid Game If you didn't love Squid Game season 3 or its ending in particular, you're not alone, as in the end, it became something of a muddled mess with unsatisfying ends to many storylines, Gi-hun's included. But we could have fixed that, it seems. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, creator Hwang Dong-hyuk explains the other idea he had for how the series would end in season 3: But this is why he changed it: Not to tell the creator of the series he's wrong, but he's wrong. Gi-hun's ending was a poor finale, given that he ended up killing himself to 'save' the (computer-generated) baby when if another few minutes had passed, the entire game would have ended with the Coast Guard's invasion, and the idea that he or the baby would be killed at all would go out the window. So his sacrifice was really for nothing with the way that ending was structured. Squid Game However, that original ending would have been a much better bookend. In it Gi-hun's ending would mirror the choice he was given at the end of the first season, move on with his life and money, or seek to destroy the game. Seeing the recruiter would tell him the games were still continuing, but even still, he finally chooses his family over pursuing its destruction. That would have been way better! Season 3 ended with a rather dismal 50% audience score, the lowest of any season and a far cry from season 1's 84%. Questions still remain about whether the show will continue, as Hwang has pitched a prequel series starring Gi-hun set between seasons 1 and 2. The door is also open for another future season, and there's a lot of chatter about an American Squid Game spin-off that has yet to be confirmed. But I think we all hoped that the current iteration of the show ended better, and as it turns out, it could have. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
Geek Tyrant
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Let's Talk About That Wild and Bonkers Ending For 28 YEARS LATER — GeekTyrant
I loved the ending of 28 Years Later . Was it insane? Absolutely. Was it a clean resolution? Not even close. But that's what made it so damn exciting. Danny Boyle didn't just come back to this world to play it safe, he and writer Alex Garland tore it all down and left me standing in the wreckage, grinning and excited about what comes next. Now look, I get it, not everyone's going to be onboard with how this story wraps. It's not a tidy finale. It's a punk-rock cliffhanger that ends a chapter, not a full arc. That's because this film is the first of a planned trilogy, with 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple already lined up for January 2026, and knowing that, the ending makes more sense. Let's break this chaos down… full spoilers ahead. The final stretch of the film sees young Spike return to the mainland after taking the infected-born baby back to his home. It's a complicated, emotional choice, one that's clearly about rejecting his violent, estranged father, Jamie. So far, so tragic. But then…. here comes Jack O'Connell in a neon-colored fever dream. He shows up leading a bonkers gang in technicolor jumpsuits. The character shows up as Spike is being chased down by infected. After Spike skillfully manages to take out a couple with his bow and arrows, O'Connel politely acknowledge his skill and asks if he and his crew can jump in to help finish the job. Spike agrees, and they gleefully mow down the rage-infected chasing Spike with happy raging energetic violence. It's an incredibly fun moment and I instantly like these new characters! It's here was also learn that O'Connell is Jimmy. Jimmy is the kid from the beginning of the movie. The boy who watched his mom and friends get ripped apart by the raging infested as he and several other children are watching Teletubbies. The one whose crazy priest father handed him a cross in the middle of the madness before witnessing him being attacked. So, what in the hell happened to this kid!? There are subtle breadcrumbs throughout the film. Early on, Spike and his dad Jamie discover a man hanging by his feet with the letters 'I-M-M-Y' carved into his chest. The full 'J' isn't visible, but come on… we know who that is. Later, when Spike's traveling with Isla, 'Jimmy' is painted on the side of a shed like some grim, post-apocalyptic graffiti tag. Jimmy is thriving in this world and it seems like he's embraced the madness of it and his having fun. He's charismatic, terrifying, and is running his own violent crew, who all have a similar hair style to British media personality Jimmy Savile, a controversial figure in British media. Savile was a huge influence on kids in the UK, but it wasn't until 2012 where is was revealed that he sexually abused hundreds of people throughout his life, mostly children. He was know for his eccentric image and was respected for his charitable work. 28 Years Later i s a different world, though, and with the Virus outbreak taking place in 2002, chances are with Jimmy gowing up on the quantined Ispland, he may not be aware of Savil's dark past. I should also point out that Jimmy is wearing a purple tracksuit, and the rest of the Jimmys wear similar clothes that are red, yellow, and green. They are wearing the colors of the Teletubbies in soft fabrics that suggest the touch of their branded toys. To bring that connection into the film, the music from Young Fathers that plays during the battle, pays homage to the Teletubbies as it's hard rock cover of the show's theme song. They are also fighting in the style of the Power Rangers, and if you remember early on in the film, Spike has a Power Rangers action figure that he almost took with him on his right-of-passage journey. He will find some common ground with this group. While O'Connell is credited as as just Jimmy in the film, his gang is credited as Jimmy Ink, Jimmy Jones, Jimmy Snake, Jimmy Shite, and Jimmy Fox. It seems like Jimmy has memorialized his childhood, and built himself a new family. Now Spike, who already has abandonment and trust issues, is caught in this awesome madness. A whole new world and way of doing things has been introduced to Spike and I can't wait to see where that leads him. Jamie's rejection by his son cuts deep. So what's he going to do now? Go after him? Burn the mainland to the ground? We don't know. And the infected baby—born to rage-infected parents but somehow uninfected herself is a game-changing detail. What does that mean for the virus? Is immunity possible? Is she a cure, a key, or a new kind of threat? And then there's the whole Bone Temple thing, which is the subtitle of the second film. That's obviously based on Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) creepy bone architecture and philosophical ramblings, and it seems like a prime place to start a cult. Are we about to get into religious terror territory? Will Spike introduce this gang of infected killers to Dr. Kelson? Will Jimmy become a father figure to Spike? Plus, we've been told that Jim, Cillian Murphy's OG survivor from 28 Days Later, is going to show up in the next film. It's going to be really interesting to see how that his incorporated into the story! Boyle did tease how Garland pitched the first two films, saying, "The first script is about the nature of family, and the second film's about the nature of evil." Honestly, I walked out of the theater with my head spinning, and I mean that as a compliment. Boyle and Garland lit this franchise on fire, handed us a match, and asked if we wanted more. Bring on The Bone Temple !
