04/07/2025
"Squid Game" season 3 could have had a different "happy ending" where Gi Hun lives, according to Director Hwang D**g Hyuk.
He said, "I did think about having Gi Hun (Lee Jung Jae) live. I thought about an alternate ending where Seonh Gi Hun would meet Hwang Jun Ho (Wi ha Jun), end the game, and make it out of the game in one way or another. Then he would go to the U.S. to see his daughter."
The director, however, stated that ending changed after he saw "everything wrong in the world."
He explained, "I thought what story do I want to tell through the show? Also, I looked at what was happening around the world at the time and how there was less hope for humanity. I thought of Gi Hun sacrificing himself for this baby, just as we all should for our future generation. That was a better-fitting ending for both the show and the character."
Hence, the baby living is essentially a metaphor for hope for the future.
He added," But as I continued writing, I personally started to feel that surviving in this world was becoming increasingly difficult. Inequality is deepening, the threat of war is growing, the climate crisis is already here, and yet no one is taking responsibility. Wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few. I felt that now is the time for older generations to let go a bit of their growth, development, and desires, and start making sacrifices and taking action for future generations. That’s why I decided to include a child in the story."
He also added," By sacrificing himself, Gi Hun's actions have definitely touched something in In Ho's (Lee Byung Hun) heart, maybe a very small sliver of hope that he had hidden deep down in his heart. I also think it may have triggered some shame in him, because that was something he wasn't able to do for himself."
"With the gaming arena in Korea being completely ruined and seeing this baby who made it out of the game, there was a huge change within the Front Man, and I think that was triggered and brought about by Gi Hun's actions. I wanted that to be what the audience feels as well," he concluded.
📝 Sources: The Wrap, Slash Film, ELLE
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