A master class by “Squid Game” creators takes students inside the mania of the globally

‘SQUID GAME’ MASTER CLASS TAKES STUDENTS INSIDE THE MANIA

BY DENNIS ARP

When Hwang Dong-hyuk wrote the screenplay that would become the runaway hit Netflix series “Squid Game,” he had $5 in his bank account.

“I went to withdraw 10 bucks from the ATM machine and was rejected,” the South Korean filmmaker said through an interpreter, recounting the “Squid Game” origin story for an overflow crowd of students at Chapman University.

“I could only dream of being in a contest and getting a fortune, like from a survival game,” he added.

Now his dreams of success are as real as the thunderous applause that greeted him on Monday, Feb. 28, when he took the Folino Theater stage along with four “Squid Game” cast members for a master class at Chapman’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.

“People didn’t like the script,” Hwang said of his first attempt to sell “Squid Game” in 2009. “But I was determined to see it succeed.”

Struggle on the way to achievement was a recurring theme for the “Squid Game” cast and creator, as it often is during events in Dodge’s Master Class Series, which is its own success story. Dodge regularly welcomes to campus industry leaders and visionaries who offer insights and answer students’ questions.

Other recent master classes have featured writer-director Sofia Coppola, actor Halle Berry and producer and writer David Chase, among others.

The “Squid Game” master class was hosted by The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg as he taped his “Awards Chatter” podcast after a screening of an episode in the drama series. Along with Hwang, panelists were actors Lee Jung-jae, Jung Ho-yeon, Park Hae-soo and Anupam Tripathi.

The night before, Jung and Lee had become the first actors from a non-English language show to win in their categories of the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

The successes just keep rolling in for “Squid Game.” The drama series about a game that gives debt-addled participants a chance to get rich if they can survive, has become Netflix’s most popular show ever. It attracted more than 142 million member households during the first four weeks after its release. The entertainment industry certainly has become friendly territory for Korean movies and series. Even before “Squid Game,” films such as 2019 Oscar-winner “Parasite,” by Best Director honoree Bong Joon-ho, have been opening doors and winning fans.

Why has Korean storytelling become so popular globally?

“Because Koreans are so creative,” Hwang said, eliciting powerful applause. “We live in a very competitive society, and we’re confined [geographically and economically]. We’ve always been told by our parents that we have to sell to other countries.”

Fans of Hwang’s creativity will be glad to know that signs are definitely pointing to “Squid Game’s” return for a second season.

“We’ve been talking, and we’re almost there. In my mind, it’s kind of official,” Hwang said. “There’s big pressure, but I’ll try to live up to it.”

Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk said he’s been talking with Netflix about a second season of “Squid Game,” adding, “There’s big pressure, but I’ll try to live up to it.”

Lee Jung-jae, center, and Jung Ho-yeon, right, stand to acknowledge the audience's applause for their Screen Actors Guild Awards during a "Squid Game" master class at Chapman University. Scott Feinberg, left, hosted the event as he taped his "Awards Chatter" podcast, which included insights by "Squid Game" creator Hwang Donghyuk, second from left. Photo by Dennis Arp