The creator of Squid Game has revealed that he didn't get any kind of bonus for its meteoric success.
The hit series was recently announced as the streaming site's most popular show ever, but Hwang Dong-hyuk didn't get any richer as a result.
Speaking to The Guardian, the 50-year-old said he wasn't paid any more than he had originally agreed with Netflix before the show aired.
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He told the publication: "I'm not that rich. But I do have enough. I have enough to put food on the table. And it's not like Netflix is paying me a bonus. Netflix paid me according to the original contract."
For those of you who don't have a clue what Squid Game is, it follows a down-on-their-luck group of men and women who agree to take part in a series of games in the hope of winning a huge jackpot prize.
However, they soon realise that there's something much more sinister going on and are left fighting for their lives.
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But while millions of people have been glued to their screens since it landed, not everyone has been so impressed, including basketball icon LeBron James, who didn't think much of the ending.
He said recently: "I didn't like the ending, though.
"I know they start it off with a season two but, like, get on the f***ing flight and go see your daughter, bro. Like what are you doing?"
It's a fair point, but Hwang said he wasn't losing any sleep over the sports star's critique.
He told the Guardian: "Have you seen Space Jam 2?
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"LeBron James is cool and can say what he wants. I respect that. I'm very thankful he watched the whole series.
"But I wouldn't change my ending. That's my ending.
"If he has his own ending that would satisfy him, maybe he could make his own sequel. I'll check it out and maybe send him a message saying, 'I liked your whole show, except the ending'."
As James pointed out, the ending does unequivocally set the show up for a second series, and given its enormous success, you'd think it would only be a matter of time before the renewal is confirmed.
Hwang has been keeping his cards fairly close to his chest about it all, though he did hint at the massive financial incentive that is obviously there.
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"Of course, there is talk. That's inevitable because it's been such a success. I am considering it," he said.
"I have a very high-level picture in my mind, but I'm not going to work on it straight away. There's a film I really want to make. I'm thinking about which to do first. I'm going to talk to Netflix.
"It's possible that I have to do season two to become as rich as Squid Game's winner."
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: SPORT, Basketball, Entertainment, South Korea, Netflix, Squid Game
