Hwang Dong-hyuk, the creator of Squid Game, has overcome immense challenges to deliver one of television's most compelling dystopian stories—including the surprising personal cost of losing multiple teeth. The filmmaker recently shared that Season 3 led to the loss of even more of his own teeth.

“I thought it would be manageable, but this time around I needed two additional teeth removed,” Hwang told Entertainment Weekly. “I already had about eight teeth pulled during Season 1, and now with two more gone, I’m still waiting to get them restored.”

While initial reports suggested Hwang had lost six teeth early in the series, he clarified in November 2024 that the number was actually closer to eight or nine. Even though the final season—confirmed by Hwang as the last installment—was somewhat less stressful, it still took a similar physical toll.

“Since the universe and vision were already established, Season 2 and Season 3 felt easier compared to the first season,” he explained to EW. “But the challenge was shooting and writing both seasons back-to-back—it was like producing one long season. We pushed hard to deliver Season 3 as quickly as possible. The total workload was massive, involving nearly a full year of filming, which was physically exhausting.”

In a recent interview, Hwang discussed the possibility of a Squid Game spin-off. “If I were to create a spin-off, it would explore the events between Season 1 and 2,” he told Indiewire at the Gotham Awards. “There’s a three-year gap between those seasons, and I’d like to show what the characters were doing during that time.”

Season 3 of Squid Game arrives on Netflix on June 27, 2025.