Squid Game was rejected by studios for 10 years, creator Hwang Dong-hyuk had to sell laptop to pay rent
Netflix’s Squid Game stands as the platform’s most-watched series, generating a staggering $900 million empire. However, its creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, endured over a decade of rejection and financial hardship before the show’s groundbreaking success. At one point, Hwang even sold his $675 laptop to make ends meet, highlighting the sacrifices behind his vision.
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The origins of Hwang’s script date back to 2009, when he first conceptualized the story. For ten long years, studios, investors, and actors repeatedly turned him down. A viral tweet from The Numbers Game recently brought attention to his struggles, shedding light on the relentless journey that eventually gave birth to one of the most iconic series in television history.
Hwang’s inspiration for Squid Game stemmed largely from Japanese comics and animations such as Battle Royale and Liar Game. In an interview with Variety, he recalled how he often spent his financially challenging days in cafes, engrossed in these stories and imagining himself navigating their intense, survivalist worlds.
Growing up in the working-class Ssangmun-dong district of Seoul, Hwang witnessed firsthand the crushing inequality within South Korean society. He observed friends and neighbors falling into debt, desperate for an escape. These experiences became the foundation of Squid Game. The series’
