No, it did not take 12 years to make Squid Game
As a fan of the gaming world and Korean entertainment, I‘ve been eagerly following the runaway success story of Netflix‘s Squid Game. And like many viewers, I was shocked to learn it took 12 years for this overnight sensation to be made. But did principal filming and production really last over a decade or is that development timeline deceptive? Let‘s dig deeper.
The Long Road to Getting Greenlit
Director Hwang Dong-hyuk first conceived the idea for Squid Game in 2008. He spent a year writing the initial script draft in 2009. Then began a decade of struggles in bringing his vision to fruition:
| 2009-2018 | Over 10 major studios rejected the script as too violent, unrealistic |
| 2014 | Hwang forced to put writing Squid Game aside for 6 years to work other jobs |
| 2015 | Reportedly had to sell laptop for $675 due to financial troubles |
As a fellow creator, I can only imagine how disheartening those wilderness years felt. Hwang remarked he was "very depressed" when his passion project kept getting passed over.
But finally in 2019, fortune smiled down.
Full Steam Ahead to Release
Netflix deciding to pick up Squid Game dramatically changed its development timeline:
| 2019 September | Netflix greenlights first season |
| 2020 March | Principal filming begins in Daejeon, South Korea |
| 2020 July | Filming enters final 6 weeks |
| 2021 June | Squid Game reportedly set to release within 5 months |
| 2021 September 17 | Squid Game Season 1 debuts on Netflix |
Far from a 12 year slog, Squid Game‘s production from first filming to launch took approximately 2 years including pandemic-related delays.
The cultural phenomenon was born after roughly:
- 10 years writing/developing
- 1 year shooting
- 1 year post-production
By the Numbers
For context on the payoff, Squid Game exploded into a historic hit projected to be worth almost $900 million for Netflix making it:
- Most watched Netflix series ever
- Valued higher than Bridgerton and Stranger Things
The budget for Season 1 was an estimated $21.4 million, quite modest by US standards. So the streamer certainly made back their investment!
As someone who analyzes games, I should‘ve expected the show‘s name to have Easter egg significance. It took 12 years to play out a winner in this ruthless competition. And audiences overwhelmingly voted Squid Game a smash hit.
Why So Long to Make?
In closing, let‘s speculate on why it stretched to 12 years from conception to distribution even with Netflix‘s backing:
- Nature of the serial competition required elaborate sets/FX
- Unknown cast – longer to film vs established stars
- Translating director‘s vision authentically
- Building hype and tension pre-release
For me, the lesson is "slow and steady wins the race". Good ideas sometimes just have to bide their time for the world to take notice!
