Squid Game is ‘winning’ among Pinoy viewers

MANILA, Philippines — It’s been said life is like a game, there are “winners” and there are “losers”. In Squid Game, those from the latter category are offered the chance to change the course of their fortunes by playing popular games of their childhood. The victor stands to win 45.6 billion Korean won (or almost two billion in Philippine peso). But here’s the catch: Survival at each and every game is also a matter of life and death.

The show is currently “winning” on Netflix Philippines, sitting at No. 1 of the Top 10 list of most-watched titles, as of writing. It also trended right after its Sept. 17 premiere on the international streaming platform.

The creator, director and writer Hwang Dong-hyuk started developing the story idea about desperate players competing for a prize despite the deadly stakes in 2008, right after he made his directorial debut in My Father in 2007. It took him more than a decade to make it happen because there were no takers at that time. He, however, believes the timing now is just perfect.

When Hwang Dong-hyuk conceptualized the show, he actually thought that he could participate in such games in Squid Game.

“When I wrote it, I thought I could play it because I was in debt at the time. I thought to myself that I wish there was a chance like this,” he said through an interpreter during a virtual presscon.

See more at: https://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2021/09/22/2128684/squid-game-winning-among-pinoy-viewers