39 unreleased stills featuring intense scenes from 'Squid Game' and a video titled 'The World Inside the Game' have been unveiled.
On the 5th, the production team of Netflix's original 'Squid Game' Season 2 released unreleased stills and the video 'The World Inside the Game' to enhance the rich entertainment of the series.
The character 'No-eul', played by Park Gyu-young, has the sole goal of finding her young daughter left behind in the North. In the early part of the series, 'No-eul' is seen working part-time in a parade while wearing a mascot costume at an amusement park, and she receives an invitation to the 'Squid Game', leading everyone to believe she is a new participant in the game. However, 'No-eul' appears in a pink guard uniform instead of the green tracksuit, breaking everyone's expectations and delivering a shocking twist.
Park Gyu-young, who expressed and acted out the narrative of the pink guards that was shrouded in mystery in Season 1, shared her meaningful thoughts: "I was curious as a viewer about what kind of stories the pink guards might have, as they are all human. I was really happy to take on a character that could show the stories and emotions of the pink guards in Season 2."
Park Gyu-young has received much praise for portraying the complex inner world of 'No-eul' with her delicate acting skills. She stated, "There aren't many intense expressions, but I believe there is tremendous emotion contained within. It was a character and worldview that held great meaning for me, as I could deeply immerse myself in that emotion."
The unreleased stills that were also revealed capture the diverse appearances of characters entangled both inside and outside of 'Squid Game', grabbing attention. A still of 'Gi-hun' holding a pink guard mask and another of him screaming while being captured by a pink guard vividly showcase his struggle to end the deadly game. The 'Frontman', disguised as '001 Oh Young-il', shows various aspects as he navigates the game alongside 'Gi-hun' and manipulates the game according to his will, enhancing the immersion. The stills of characters fighting to survive in the brutal game where elimination means death also draw attention.
Amidst the life-and-death games and the power struggles caused by OX voting, the multi-layered appearances of 'Myung-ki' (Lim Si-wan), 'Dae-ho' (Kang Ha-neul), 'Hyun-joo' (Park Sung-hoon), 'Yong-sik' (Yang Dong-geun), 'Geum-ja' (Kang Ae-sim), and 'Jeong-bae' (Lee Seo-hwan) convey a gripping tension. Additionally, the stills of 'Seon-nyeo' (Chae Guk-hee), 'Min-soo' (Lee Da-wit), 'Nam-kyu' (Noh Jae-won), 'Jun-hee' (Jo Yu-ri), 'Thanos' (Choi Seung-hyun), and 'Semi' (Won Ji-an) depict fierce moments of survival among individuals with different personalities and stories. Meanwhile, the still of 'No-eul', who appears as a pink guard, raises further curiosity about her narrative as a participant in the game. The appearance of Park Hee-soon, who makes a special appearance as 'Deputy Commander', brings delight and surprise to viewers.
The characters outside of 'Squid Game', each with their own goals, are also intriguing. 'Jun-ho' (Wi Ha-joon) struggles to find the truth behind the game and his brother 'In-ho', with the help of his ally 'Choi Woo-seok' (Jeon Seok-ho), tirelessly traversing both land and sea. Furthermore, the confrontation between the main recruiter of the game 'Ddakji Man' (Gong Yoo) and 'Gi-hun' leaves a strong impression in the first episode of Season 2, adding to the tension.
Additionally, the video 'The World Inside the Game', which was released alongside the stills, showcases various games featured in 'Squid Game' Season 2 and behind-the-scenes production footage, capturing attention. From the shocking and terrifying 'Red Light, Green Light' from Season 1 to the new games introduced in Season 2, such as 'Five in Six Angles Modern Pentathlon' and 'Pairing Game', the newly unfolded childhood games, where elimination means death, display vibrant colors and overwhelming scale. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk explained the reason for reintroducing 'Red Light, Green Light', saying, "I thought it would be good for 'Gi-hun' to have something he could do as an experienced participant."
The second game introduced is 'Five in Six Angles Modern Pentathlon', which consists of Ddakji, Stone Tossing, Air Play, Spinning Tops, and Jegi Chagi. Art director Chae Kyung-sun explained that 'Five in Six Angles Modern Pentathlon' is set against the backdrop of a school sports day before the term 'elementary school' emerged in the 70s and 80s, emphasizing that the identity of 'Squid Game' as the most Korean game remains intact while the game itself has been upgraded.
The final game features a pairing game set to the song 'Round and Round'. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk mentioned, "It's very simple and spontaneous, where participants suddenly hug each other while singing," hinting at the intense situations of betrayal and cooperation that will unfold based on the number of participants, along with the brutal game. As the games become more daring and upgraded, how the relationships between the characters evolve and how unexpected developments unfold will also be key points to watch.
With the introduction of new characters and upgraded childhood games, 'Squid Game' Season 2, which has garnered a hot response since its release, is currently streaming exclusively on Netflix, and 'Squid Game' Season 3 is set to be released in 2025.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
