Latest news with #HwangDongHyuk
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Look: Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun attend 'Squid Game' Season 3 premiere
June 19 (UPI) -- Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun were among the Squid Game cast members to attend the premiere of the Korean drama series' third and final season Wednesday. The event took place at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Lee Jung-jae portrays Gi-hun, or player 456, on the show, which follows the participants in a life-or-death game. In the previous season, Gi-hun tried and failed to destroy the game. Jung-jae, 52, wore a long blazer over a white mesh shirt to the premiere. Lee Byung-hun portrays Hwang In-ho, or the Front Man, in the series. He wore a white pin-striped suit Wednesday. In a recent interview on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, Byung-hun said more characters will learn Front Man's identity in Season 3. Show creator and director Hwang Dong-hyuk was also in attendance. He wore an oversized navy blue blazer and wire-rimmed glasses. Other Squid Game cast members to step out Wednesday included Jo Yu-ri, Park Sung-hoon, Kang Ae-sim and Yim Si-wan. Season 3 arrives on Netflix June 27.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Look: Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun attend 'Squid Game' Season 3 premiere
June 19 (UPI) -- Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun were among the Squid Game cast members to attend the premiere of the Korean drama series' third and final season Wednesday. The event took place at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Lee Jung-jae portrays Gi-hun, or player 456, on the show, which follows the participants in a life-or-death game. In the previous season, Gi-hun tried and failed to destroy the game. Jung-jae, 52, wore a long blazer over a white mesh shirt to the premiere. Lee Byung-hun portrays Hwang In-ho, or the Front Man, in the series. He wore a white pin-striped suit Wednesday. In a recent interview on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, Byung-hun said more characters will learn Front Man's identity in Season 3. Show creator and director Hwang Dong-hyuk was also in attendance. He wore an oversized navy blue blazer and wire-rimmed glasses. Other Squid Game cast members to step out Wednesday included Jo Yu-ri, Park Sung-hoon, Kang Ae-sim and Yim Si-wan. Season 3 arrives on Netflix June 27.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Everything to Remember from ‘Squid Game' Season 1 and 2
After taking the world by storm in 2021, the curtain is about to close on Hwang Dong-hyuk's 'Squid Game.' Where Season 2 premiered over three years after its predecessor, 'Squid Game 3' hits Netflix barely six months on the heels of that. Season 2's characters, stakes, and cliffhanger might be fresh in the minds of many, but it's worth revisiting details all of 'Squid Game' ahead of its final hurrah. More from IndieWire 'Matlock' Production Designer Adam Rowe on How Two Canceled Shows Gave the CBS Hit Its Scale 'Nobody Wants This' Creator Erin Foster Set Out to Make Her Own 'Fleabag' - Her 'Really Sweet' Rom-Com Took Her by Surprise In case you haven't made the time to re-binge all of Season 1 and 2 (or even if you have!), here's a refresher on what happened in 'Squid Game' and what might be critical to Season 3. While most of the characters from Season 1 are dead, Season 2's key players are still at large — but in terrible danger unless Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) succeeds in his master plan. In Season 1, our protagonist was a little selfish, a bit bumbling, but a sweet guy who wanted to provide for his mother and daughter. But after a week in the Games and watching hundreds of people die violently before him due to the whims of the wealthy — not to mention his mother's sudden death during that time — Gi-hun turned into a grave, hardened, and barely recognizable person (and not just because of that drastic dye job). In the years between his first and second time in the Game, Gi-hun appears to have barely kept in touch with his daughter, who moved to America with her mother and stepfather, or with Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan), one of his remaining friends. He spent the prize money only on his search for the Games, part of a greater mission to end them for good. And the smile from his old player ID? Gone, probably forever. In Season 1, Gi-hun and the other players took a vote on whether or not to stay in the game after Red Light, Green Light — a vote which ended in them going home and returning to their lives. But shortly after, many took the opportunity to return to the games, risking their lives rather than keep the ones they had. This voting returned in Season 2 as a perverse ritual; after an initial vote to stay, players were required to vote again after every game; and every time so far, they've stayed. Each person received a patch to wear on their tracksuit indicating how they voted — essentially creating two factions within the dorms. Players have tried to appeal to those on opposing sides, or resorted to more violent means when that doesn't work. In Season 1, Gi-hun filed a police report about everything he saw in the games, which prompted police officer Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon) to sneak in as a guard — and learn that his missing brother In-ho (Lee Byung-hun) is none other than Front Man, the highest-ranking authority within the game and a former winner. The brothers faced off in the Season 1 finale, with Jun-ho taking a bullet and falling off a cliff… but his quest to expose the games didn't end there. In-ho had a pregnant wife before he entered the Games, but she died while waiting for him to secure funds for her surgery. With nothing left to fight for, he joined the Games and became the Front Man. In Season 2, he joins the games undercover, casting the first decisive vote to keep playing before switching sides and gaining Gi-hun's trust (but ultimately losing Jung-bae's when he kills someone during the game 'Mingle'). Gi-hun and Jun-ho teamed up in Season 2, before Gi-hun decided to reenter the games and lost all contact with the outside world. While he risks his life in the competition and tries to save individual players, Jun-ho is on a boat with a team of mercenaries determined to find the island. But as the Season 2 finale revealed, their biggest threat is the boat captain, who is not what he seems. Plenty of players are content to dispense with societal decorum and start fully murdering each other in the Games — but not Gi-hun. He never partook of dormitory violence, sacrificed other players, or even pushed them to create a disadvantage. He won the Games on a technicality, because Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo) stabbed himself after all the death and pain he wrought. And until shooting at the masked guards in Season 2, Gi-hun hadn't killed or tried to harm anyone, even if he felt the desire — but he stands as evidence that violence leaves a mark even upon those who survive and witness it. He feels blood on his hands from what he's seen, if not anything he's done. But now that he shot at those guards, waged a failed rebellion, and lost his last friend, what new lengths might our hero go to in the end? As of the Season 2 finale, surviving players include ex-military members Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon) and Dae-ho (Kang Ha-neul), mother and son duo Geum-ja (Kang Ae-shim) and Young-sik (Yang Dong-geun), expecting mother Jun-hee (Jo Yuri), and several others of note (R.I.P. Thanos). In-ho is back in his role as Front Man after the psychological experiment of entering the games and befriending Gi-hun, while No-eul (Park Gyuyoung) will continue to offer viewers a look inside the guards' lives. Many of these supported Gi-hun's rebellion even if they didn't take part actively (or in some cases, both — looking at you, Dae-ho), which means they relied on him to get them out of the Games. That trust may be shaken now, along with Gi-hun's actual ability to save them. Before he enters the game, Gi-hun is seen trying to make ends meet in his daily life, including daytime gambling with old friend Jung-bae. In Season 2, they met in the game, immediately giving Gi-hun something to fight for, but also something to lose. In the Season 2 finale, the Front Man killed Jung-bae right in front of him, another devastating death on Gi-hun's conscience. 'Squid Game 3' premieres June 27 on Netflix. Best of IndieWire The Best Thrillers Streaming on Netflix in June, from 'Vertigo' and 'Rear Window' to 'Emily the Criminal' All 12 Wes Anderson Movies, Ranked, from 'Bottle Rocket' to 'The Phoenician Scheme' Nightmare Film Shoots: The 38 Most Grueling Films Ever Made, from 'Deliverance' to 'The Wages of Fear'
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
No visa, no work: Why celebrities are suddenly terrified of Trump
Earlier this year I interviewed a well-known British pop star who made some vaguely disparaging comments about the US president. Nothing particularly odd about that – liberal-leaning artists (i.e. most of them) have always tended to speak their minds. But no sooner had this person's comments filtered up the chain of command – from their publicist to their manager – than a message came back. 'Probably better it's not in the article,' said the manager, who has a decades-long reputation for not giving a fig about upsetting anyone. I obliged, largely because I found the comments tasteless and tangential to the matter in hand. Yet the incident was telling: people in the creative industries are desperate not to upset the Trump administration for fear that they'll be denied a visa, and therefore entry, into the potentially lucrative country. And musicians, actors and writers – and their teams – are taking pre-emptive action. My pop star's manager is not the only one. Last month Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk – a man who in the past has appeared to criticise Trump with little prompting – was asked in a Telegraph interview about parallels between the president and one of the characters in his grizzly South Korean drama. 'I have to visit the United States quite often and you know how they are getting trickier issuing their visas… So why don't we return to this subject after [Trump] has left office?' Hwang said. Other big names are equally aware of the situation. In March, the Liverpool-born Harry Potter and White Lotus actor Jason Isaacs said that although he has a US work visa, he was unsure whether his 'clear dislike' for the president would affect his ability to work there. In general, the chorus of disapproval that stars voiced during Trump's first term has fallen noticeably silent. The issue of US visas and the arts re-entered the news today when Liam O'Hanna, a rapper who goes by the stage name Mo Chara in controversial Belfast hip-hop group Kneecap, appeared at Westminster magistrates' court on a terror charge after allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed organisation Hezbollah at a London gig last year. Kneecap are due to play a sold out US tour in October. O'Hanna, who has denied the charge, was released on unconditional bail until a further appearance in August. Legally, Kneecap can still go the US. But will they be allowed in? Kneecap aside (and we'll come back to them), music promotors say working visas are already hard to get.'Visas for America are a major issue. Getting them has definitely got worse, and more expensive,' one high-profile tour promoter tells me. 'They're just making it really difficult.' US immigration officials and officers are known to search publicly available information about potential visitors, including their social media and online profiles. These searches can take place either when a visa is being applied for or at an airport on arrival. Electronic devices can be confiscated and searched. An author friend tells me that he's been advised buy to a new laptop rather than risk any contentious manuscripts being found on his old one. Border control agency the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is principally looking for information regarding a person's planned activities in the US, according to Tamizdat, a Brooklyn-based organisation that helps international artists navigate US visa policies and is a huge advocate of cross-border cultural mobility. 'But if an officer discovers politically sensitive statements in your devices, it is reasonable to assume this will not improve your chances of being admitted to the US,' Tamizdat says on its website. Earlier this year, three members of punk rock band UK Subs said that they were denied entry and detained on arrival in Los Angeles. Bassist Alvin Gibbs took to Facebook in March to explain that he was questioned at length at LAX after being 'flagged' by the computer system, firstly because he had an 'incorrect visa' and for a second reason he claimed agents wouldn't disclose to him. 'I can't help but wonder whether my frequent, and less than flattering, public comments regarding their president and his administration played a role – or perhaps I'm simply succumbing to paranoia,' Gibbs wrote. But paranoia may be what's at play here after all. Matthew Covey co-launched Tamizdat and founded law firm CoveyLaw, which last year helped arrange US visas for nearly 1,000 UK artists. Covey says that 'no artist has been denied a visa, detained or deported [under Trump] who would not have been subject to the same process under [former US president] Biden. We have certainly seen denials and we've seen people being turned around at the border, but every one of those follows a well-established fact pattern.' Artists, to date, have not been banned due to their political opinions, the content of their art or their public statements, he reiterates. 'They don't want to be Springsteened' What has changed among the arts community, Covey says, is a creeping 'fear' about what could happen, given what's happened to academics and students. Earlier in June, an Australian writer and former Columbia University student called Alistair Kitchen was denied entry into the US and sent home due – he claimed – to his writings on the pro-Palestine student protests at Columbia. The CBP denied this, saying Kitchen had 'provided false information on his ESTA [visa waiver] application'. But creatives are concerned. They don't want to be Springsteened, to coin a phrase. US citizen Bruce Springsteen has been excoriating about Trump on his current European tour, calling the administration 'corrupt, incompetent and treasonous'. Trump, in return, took to his Truth Social platform to call The Boss 'highly overrated' and 'a pushy, obnoxious JERK'. Neil Young is another case in point. The US-Canadian dual citizen, who will headline Glastonbury next week, is a long-term Trump critic. In April the 79-year-old rocker openly wondered whether he'll be barred from US when he returns from his European tour in August. 'I may be one of those returning to America who is barred or put in jail to sleep on a cement floor with an aluminium blanket. That is happening all the time now,' Young wrote. You can see why some worried Britons are self-censuring. On top of this, the cost of visas has risen. The cost to a hypothetical British actor obtaining a work visa for a stint on Broadway, including legal fees, has risen from 'under $3,000' three years ago to 'at least $5-6,000' now, Covey says. This latter fee includes 'fast-tracking', which is all-but essential these days. Add into this the rising cost of living once in the US, and an artist has to be sure that the juice is worth the squeeze. 'I haven't heard of anyone giving up yet,' says the music promoter. 'But I imagine if you're fee isn't that great you'll give up. I think the fees have to be solid enough to make it worth your while to employ the correct visa people to do the work.' Cost, red tape and paranoia Covey argues that it is the cumulative impact of cost, red tape and paranoia about potential rejection due to political views that is worrying artists. 'The barriers of entry to the US market were already so high – in terms of cost and administrative lift – that for years many artists have been questioning whether the US is worth the effort. I think that adding fear into the mix is the straw that breaks the camel's back, for many artists,' he says. (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, was approached for comment.) But the reasonably benign situation could change 'in a heartbeat', says Covey. And that heartbeat might have occurred on Wednesday in the broiling heat of Westminster magistrates' court in central London when Kneecap's O'Hanna appeared. Even if O'Hanna is eventually found guilty, he could, technically, still legally travel to America to perform. This is because while section 2.12(a) of the US's Immigration and Nationality Act can deem anyone with a criminal history ineligible for entry, there is a waiver for this. Meaning the tour could still happen. 🚨🚨North American Tour🚨🚨 We're off to Canada and the US in October for our Smashing Walls Tour! Tickets: — KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) April 18, 2023 At the time of writing, there is no suggestion that Kneecap's 21-date US tour in October will not going ahead. However, a music industry source is doubtful. 'Realistically, Kneecap would have a major issue with any American tour now. I imagine they're working under the assumption they're going to get turned away,' the source says. (Kneecap was approached for comment.) There's also a time issue. Visas take months to arrange. Their cause may not be helped by a poster for an earlier 2023 US tour which showed a cartoon of the trio holding a makeshift bomb that bore a distinct resemblance to Donald Trump's head. Meanwhile, the UK music industry says that it fully backs creative expression. 'Freedom of creative expression is one of the cornerstones of music. Singers and songwriters throughout history have never been afraid to use their voice to protest and bring about positive change,' Tom Kiehl, the chief executive of UK Music, which represents the industry, tells me.
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Squid Game director reveals REAL reason Netflix hit has been split into three series - and gives verdict on season four
Squid Game writer and director Hwang Dong-hyuk has revealed the real reason why the upcoming series of the Netflix hit has been split into two parts. The dystopian survival thriller became an instant hit after it landed on the streaming service in 2021. Fans had to wait three years for the next instalment of the show (series two), which landed in December 2024, and luckily they've only had to wait six months for the third. But that is partly because the second season was cut in half - and many fans have wondered why he made the decision to do so. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline at the Squid Game season three premiere on Thursday, Hwang Dong-hyuk said: 'I originally didn't plan for it to be split into two seasons. 'I was thinking that it'd be a single one, but in the process of writing it, it came out to about 13 episodes, which I thought was too long to put out as a single season. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'And I also thought it was too long when you look at current trends. 'So I thought that we wanted to split it, and if we were to split it, at the end of episode seven, when Seong Gi-hun hits rock bottom after his rebellion failed... 'I thought that was the just the right moment to sort of dividing into two chapters.' One question that a lot of fans want to know the answer to is if there is a fourth coming anytime soon. Hwang Dong-hyuk told us: 'I think that once you watch season three, people will understand why the story should come to a closure here. 'So I don't have any plans for a season four.' The writer then went on to share some very exciting news about some other projects relating to the hit show. He added: 'But I do have some ideas, maybe about a spin off.' Lee Jung-Jae, Park Gyu-young, Kim Ji-yeon, Lee Byung-hun and Hwang Dong-hyuk pictured at the Squid Game season 3 premiere at The Barbican in London on Thursday MailOnline also caught up with Lee Jung-jae - who plays protagonist Seong Gi-hun in the show - and asked what he thought about the other 'real life' programmes that have been made off the back of the Netflix hit. Squid Game: The Challenge hit the streaming service in 2023. It follows a group of contestants battling it out for $4.56 million. He said: 'I always thought that having somethings that come out of an original story so that many people can enjoy it further... 'I've always seen it as a good thing. 'Whether or not that is successful, I don't think that is important, what I think is important is that there is more for people to enjoy.' Netflix's official synopsis of the show reads: 'Hundreds of cash-strapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children's games. 'Inside, a tempting prize awaits — with deadly high stakes.' The second series saw 456 players return to the game in a bid to win 45.6 billion won. Seong Gi-hun decided to re-enter the game to defeat the Front Man. He tried to rebel against those that are in charge of the evil games, but doesn't get very far after he loses his best friend Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan), shortly after Front Man murdered him. But luckily fans don't have long to wait until they find out what happens next. The star-studded cast includes Lee Jung-jae, Park Gyu-young, Gong Yoo, Lee Byung-hun, Jo Yu-ri and Wi Ha-joon. They are joined by the likes of Roh Jae-won, Lee Seo-hwan, Yim Siwan, Yang Dong-guen and Kim Jun-hee. Neflix dropped the official trailer of the upcoming season earlier this month. While some were left 'disappointed' by Squid Game 2 at the end of last year, others can't wait to see what happens at the end of June. Many rushed to the comments section of the YouTube video to share their excitement. 'Not having to wait 2-3 years between seasons is so refreshing. ' 'The fact that we just waited 7 months for the season 3 instead of 3 years is crazy !' Less than a month!? Thank you for not making us wait until 2028 after the trailer drops, looks [fire emoji]. 'The best decision made with Squid Game is that after waiting almost 4 years, we're getting seasons 2 and 3 in a span of 6 months after an open ending that felt deserved.'
