Netflix has ordered a new series from the creator of “Squid Game” and has already announced who will star in it
Hwang Dong-hyuk with the Emmy Award won in 2022 for directing the series “Squid Game”, PHOTO: Lee Jin-man / AP / Profimedia
How do you follow up after a Netflix series that brought your country's cinema to international attention? For “Squid Game” creator Hwang Dong-hyuk, the answer seems to be to continue along the same lines. The South Korean director has set his next series for Netflix: a crime drama set in a casino that follows the story of a female card dealer drawn into the sordid underworld of gambling, IndieWire and THR report.
The series is called “The Dealer”, and Netflix has just confirmed in a statement published on Tudum, its news site, that it has given the green light to the new production to be filmed in South Korea. Hwang will produce the series alongside Firstman Studio, the production company behind “Squid Game.” Netflix also published the official description for the upcoming series:
“'The Dealer' centers on Geonhwa, a highly talented casino dealer, whose life is turned upside down when her wedding plans fall apart after she becomes embroiled in a real estate scam. Forced to return to a world she had deliberately left behind, Geonhwa plunges into the dark underworld of illegal gambling—and is forced to activate her long-repressed supernatural abilities that give him an unnatural edge at the gaming tables as he struggles to regain control of his own future.”
While Netflix has not revealed a possible release date for the upcoming series, as it usually does when announcing new productions, the streaming company has confirmed the cast for “The Dealer.”
Who Will Star in New Netflix Series From 'Squid Game' Creator
Actress Jung So-min (known from “Love Reset”, “Alchemy of Souls”) will be playing the lead role of Geonhwa, along with other well-known actors in South Korea such as Ryoo Seung-bum, Lee Soo-hyuk and Ryu Kyung-soo.
Choi Young-hwan, cinematographer for South Korean films such as “Smugglers,” “The Thieves” and “Veteran,” will make his directorial debut with this series.
This will be a major difference from “Squid Game” as for the series that ended last summer Hwang filled all the important roles, including that of director.
The three seasons of “Squid Game” rank #1, #2, and #3 on Netflix's most-watched series in a foreign language, and the series' first season is by far the streaming platform's most-watched production in any language.
Although a step back from the first season, “Squid Game” seasons 2 and 3 would still rank higher than any other Netflix series except the first season of “Wednesday” in terms of views in the first 91 days on the platform. “While setting the action of 'The Dealer' in a casino might contribute to a tone as colorful and playful as that of 'Squid Game,' Netflix would be lucky if Hwang's new series achieves even a fraction of the global cultural sensation that was 'Squid Game,'” writes IndieWire.
However, it seems that he has not completely closed the “Squid Game” chapter: the South Korean filmmaker has hinted at the creation of spin-off series, and the series finale included a cameo of great proportions by actress Cate Blanchett, which made fans hope for an English-language sequel with the action set in the US. However, Netflix has not confirmed anything officially yet.
