For ten long years, creator Squid game He pitched his script to studios, only to be met with a torrent of rejection. They weren't biting. But then Netflix, the company that made sports watching fun, finally took a chance — and Squid game It became the most watched show of all time in just 28 days. It's the story of how one man's unwavering determination turned a decade of no's into a $900 million yes — proof that sometimes, the best ideas are just a little ahead of their time.
the beginning
In 2008, a successful film director named Hwang Dong-hyuk sat in a café, trying to save some bills by reading manga. His living situation was far from glamorous, as he was staying with his mother and even sold his laptop just to pay the bills. But between pages Battle Royale and Liar gameSomething clicked. An idea began to form, which would eventually change his life forever.
Dong-hyuk grew up in the working-class Sangmun-dong district of Seoul, where the scale of inequality was constant. He watched his friends and neighbors fall into debt, desperately trying to claw their way out. This grim reality became the norm Squid game.
Quite frankly, Dong Hyuk poured his personal struggles into the script. Seong Gi-hun, the main character of the show, was Dong-hyuk's mirror, reflecting his own battles. Cho Sang-woo, who experiences pressure to succeed at all costs, echoed Dong-hyuk's experience at Seoul National University, where the weight of expectations was stifling. But when he presented the script, the reactions were not kind. The studios rejected it as “absolutely hideous”.
Over the next decade, Dong Hyuk faced rejection after rejection. Korean studios described it as “too complex”, “too violent” and “too unrealistic”. But he didn't stop. Even while directing other films, he continues to promote Squid game– It was his passion project, and he wasn't giving it up.
And then, in 2019, the spark came.
Enter Netflix, and the rest is history
In 2019, Netflix had just launched its Asian division and was looking for bold, new content. They had already pumped $700 million into Korean shows between 2015 and 2020, but more importantly, they were keen to gamble on something a little unconventional. Enter Kim Minyoung, Netflix's chief content officer, who has read Dong-hyuk's books Squid game text and I immediately saw what others had missed: a universal story about her Survival and inequality. The rest of the industry may have thought it was “absolutely terrible,” but Netflix saw gold.
Unlike the Korean studios that turned him down, Netflix handed Dong-hyuk the keys to the creative kingdom. Complete control? Checks. $21.4 million budget? Well, it was mediocre by Netflix standards, but for Dong-hyuk, it was a dream come true – he didn't need piles of cash, just the freedom to tell the story his way.
Production began in 2020, but Dong-hyuk soon realized that the stress of it all would be enough to knock out some teeth — literally. Every detail has been planned with the utmost care: every playset is designed to scale, every costume holds hidden meanings, and every frame is meticulously designed. Dong Hyuk was all in, even if it meant losing a few teeth along the way.
Then came release day.
On September 17, 2021, Squid game It arrived on Netflix, and within days, it went supernova. Netflix's strategy was genius: the series was dubbed into 16 languages, subtitled for a worldwide reach, and released simultaneously around the world. The numbers were amazing.
In just four weeks, Squid game Achieve:
- 1.65 billion hours watched
- No. 1 in 94 countries
- $900 million with an investment value of $21.4 million
But it was not just a show, it became a cultural tyrant. Halloween costumes flew off the shelves and flooded TikTok Squid game challenges, and brands rushed to put the show's logo on every piece of merchandise they could think of. What started as a simple story about inequality ended up changing global culture, proving once and for all that sometimes the strangest ideas are the ones that generate the most attention.
Consequences
after Squid game After taking the world by storm, Netflix has pledged an additional US$2.5 billion towards Korean content. They have also greenlit a second season.
Studios that once rejected Dong Hyuk have now suddenly changed and are lining up to work with him. The series received 14 Emmy Award nominations, a previously unheard of feat for a non-English series. But here's the real kicker: Squid game He didn't just break records; He proved something more important.
The main lesson from Dong Hyuk's story isn't just about relentless perseverance (although that helps). It's about building an audience that really believes in your vision and Netflix saw what others missed. In today's world, the best ideas don't win by default, they win by sharing a unique personal story.
Dong-hyuk held out of rejection? This wasn't a setback, it was his secret weapon. Every “no” he heard made his story stronger, more relatable, and ultimately more powerful.
