Squid Game: Top Trending Series Rejected for 10 Years before Making Netflix Splash
- Widely loved series Squid Game, set to become the biggest show on Netflix, was rejected for 10 years
- Studios turned down the lit South Korean show, saying it was too unrealistic for it to be a real hit
- According to Netflix, Squid Game is poised to topple the likes of big series such as Lupin and Bridgerton
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We often hear of successful people stressing the need to never giving up on one’s dream. However, testimonies of people making it after years of rejection are often more effective.
Source: UGC
Squid Game, a South Korean TV show on Netflix that has captivated audiences worldwide, has quite an interesting story.
Turned down
According to the Wall Street Journal, for almost ten years, studios rejected the show.
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The publication reports that the show’s creator, Hwang-hyuk, first came up with it a decade ago while living with his mother and grandmother.
However, multiple bids to pitch the show flopped, with studios turning down the fictionalised show terming it too unrealistic.
Hwang was so desperate for money that at one time, he was forced to sell his laptop to survive; hence, he could no longer write the script.
Success
However, tides have turned for Hwang, given the show’s success. Netflix announced that Squid Game is poised to become the biggest show on the streaming platform, overshadowing Bridgerton and Lupin.
Asked why he thought Squid Game is such a hit yet it was rejected a while back, Hwang said:
“The world has changed. All of these points made the story very realistic for people compared to a decade ago.”
With Season two in the making, only time will tell how big Squid Game will turn out to be.
Squid Game storyline
Squid Game revolves around broke adults playing a traditional Korean children's game on a far-flung island.
The winner takes home around KSh 4 billion, while the rest of the contenders are eliminated, literally.
Thousands of calls
In other news, Briefly News reported that a man whose phone number appeared on the Squid Game series received thousands of calls.
In one scene, actor Gong Yoo handed out a card to a character, but the number shown on the card was an existing number used by someone.
The man said he received over 4,000 calls from the show's fans and was tired of the situation.
Netflix stated:
“We cannot do anything since it already went out and it is not like we did it intentionally. Honestly, we think the only option is for you to change your number.”
Source: Briefly News
Denika Herbst (Editor) Denika Herbst is a Human Interest writer at Briefly News. She is also an Industrial Sociologist with a master's degree in Industrial Organisational and Labour Studies from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, which she completed in 2020. She is now a PhD candidate at UKZN. Denika has over five years of experience writing for Briefly News (joined in 2018), and a short time writing for The South African. You can reach her via: denika.herbst@briefly.co.za.
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
