Lee Byung-hun as Front man in ‘Squid Game’ season 3. Photo: Netflix.
‘Squid Game’ Season 3 receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
Released on Netflix on June 27th, ‘Squid Game’ Season 3 represents the final batch of episodes for creator Hwang Dong-hyuk’s violent, satirical, dystopian saga of lethal games where desperate people compete for cash, but only one winner can triumph.
Lee Jung-jae as Sung Gi-hun in ‘Squid Game’ season 3. Photo: Netflix.
This third season of ‘Squid Game’, despite being released six months after the second, isn’t really its own set of episodes, really just a continuation of the storyline from that sophomore outing, itself a surprise (in all ways except business terms) since the original run of ‘Squid Game’ was intended to be a one-and-done tale.
With creator Hwang Dong-hyuk once more serving also as showrunner and director, it offers a lot more of what we’ve come to expect from ‘Squid Game’ –– brutal versions of childhood games, conniving villains both inside and running the games sacrificing humanity for profit and the continued story of Lee Jung-jae’s Seong Gi-hun and his efforts to take it down.
Yet the specter of diminishing returns does hang heavy over the series, which stumbles a little in reaching its goals while still providing enough twisted entertainment to keep us engaged.
As if he was making a movie spread out across these episodes, Hwang Dong-hyuk is truly in charge of every creative aspect of the show, and it continues to be driven by his ideas and intentions.
The theme remains the caustic, divisive impact of greed on humanity and those who are trying to counteract it. I suppose every time in history gets the series it deserves, and ‘Squid Game,’ with its story of billionaires mistreating others for their own amusement could rarely be timelier.
Yet this third chunk falls into some narrative repetition and hammers its message home in places in such a way that you can almost imagine the cheery robotic voice of the game announcing that the show itself has been eliminated.
There are also pacing issues, the show spreading itself thin across subplots such as a detective Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon) searching for the island where the games take place (and his own brother, who happens to be orchestrating things as the Front Man) and Kang No-eul’s (Park Gyuyoung) attempts to rescue a co-worker from within.
But when focused on the grim visage of Gi-hun and his increasingly desperate attempts to tear it all down, the show really works.
Lee Jung-jae continues to be the MVP of both the show and the game within it. While he calibrates himself to match the heightened, melodramatic levels the series usually heads for, he’s also human and relatable in a way that most of the other cast can’t quite match.
It helps that we’ve watched him evolve from the jolly, if troubled man in debt and danger of losing his family to an overseas move to the deeply determined zealot who knows he’s one of the few people who might actually be able to stop the games once and for all.
Lee Byung-hun’s In-ho, the current Front Man of the games, is all steely, callous orchestration, but does undergo his own transformation, which we won’t spoil here.
Among the players around Gi-hun, the likes of Jo Yuri’s Kim Jun-hee (who is pregnant in the games and ends up giving birth to a baby who becomes a key component of the story), Kang Ae-sim’s Jang Geum-ja, an exhausted mother to a worthless son, pop on screen.
Others in the game tend to be more one-note and vicious, but they work for the story as it moves forward. And, of course, are fodder for the series’ increasingly nasty ways of taking out players.
If there’s one element that truly lets the side down, it’s the ridiculous caricatures of the VIPs, the wealthy types who pay for the games and watch the suffering with effusive cruelty. They’re pitched at such a weird level with dreadful line readings, that they’re more distracting than additive.
This wrap-up for the main ‘Squid Game’ story might not satisfy all fans, but it’ll certainly provide enough nasty fun to make you question quite how you feel enjoying all the twists and turns.
And the finale, while closing off Gi-hun’s story, does leave the door ajar for other takes on the tale –– you just know Netflix won’t want to stop milking this particular cash cow (cash pig?) any time soon.
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What’s the plot of ‘Squid Game’ Season 3?
The third and final season of ‘Squid Game’ follows Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) after losing his best friend in the game and being driven to utter despair by The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), who was hiding his true identity to infiltrate the game.
Gi-hun persists with his goal to put an end to the game, while the Front Man continues onto his next move and the surviving players’ choices will lead to graver consequences with each round. revealed.
Fans attend Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Netflix.
Preview:
Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event took place on Saturday, May 30th at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles.
Netflix debuted new footage and trailers for TV shows like ‘Squid Game’, ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘Wednesday’.
They also showed footage and trailers from upcoming movies like ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’, ‘Frankenstein’, ‘The RIP’ and ‘Happy Gilmore 2’.
Lady Gaga brought down the house with an incredible live performance.
Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event took place on Saturday, May 30th at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles and was aired live on the streaming network at the same time.
The event featured the debut of new footage and trailers from popular TV shows like ‘Squid Game’ season 3, ‘Stranger Things’ season 5 and ‘Wednesday’ season 2, as well as a casting announcement for a fan favorite character joining ‘One Piece’.
Fans attend Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Netflix.
(L to R) Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Park Sung-hoon, Kang Ae-shim, and Choi Seung-hyun speak onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Netflix.
Hosted by Sofia Carson, the show began with Pink Guards from ‘Squid Game’ taking the stage during a performance by Hanumankind.
Hanumankind performs onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Netflix.
After the performance, Lee Jung-Jae and Lee Byung-hun, who play Player 456 and Front Man, respectively, arrived to present the season 3 trailer for ‘Squid Game’. They were joined on stage by fellow cast members Park Hae-soo and Kang Ae-shim.
Lee Byung-hun teased the new season as he introduced the trailer:
“I will try not to spoil anything, but we can tell you a few things. Gi-hun vows to put an end to the game, while the Front Man makes his next big move.”
Lee Jung-Jae added:
“But every game must end … and ‘Squid Game will shock the world one last time. We know you are all counting down the moment.”
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‘Squid Game’ season 3 premieres on Netflix June 27th.
(L to R) Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, Cailee Spaeny, Mila Kunis, Rian Johnson, Daniel Craig, Kerry Washington and Daryl McCormack speak onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Netflix.
Director Rian Johnson appeared to tease the third of his ‘Knives Out’ series of mysteries and walked on to the stage accompanied by a “Who done it” type mystery theme.
“I love a good surprise. This is the third Benoit Blanc movie that we’ve made and one thing that we strove to do with each one of them is to keep the audience guessing. It’s important for us to figure out new ways every time so just when you think you have it figured out, a new twist comes a long that you were not expecting. That’s what makes these movies special.”
Then, each member of the cast including Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, Kerry Washington and Jeremy Renner, came out one by one to one-up the previous co-star. Washington appeared with a T-shirt gun to entice the crowd, but not to be outdone, Renner then appeared with two T-shirt guns and received an extremely warn welcome from the fans.
(Left) Kerry Washington speaks onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Netflix. (Right) Jeremy Renner speaks onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Netflix.
Eight-time Oscar nominee Glenn Close sent a video from her car, and the actress dropped the F-word twice with her dog in the backseat. Finally, Daniel Craig made a surprise appearance and had this to say about the film.
“I have a bit of news to share with you all. We have an exclusive sneak peak of the movie. Would anybody like to see it?”
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With that, the teaser trailer for the new movie debut, which will premiere on Netflix December 12th.
(L to R) Jacob Romero, Mackenyu, IÒaki Godoy, Emily Rudd, and Taz Skylar speak onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Netflix.
The cast of the popular series ‘One Piece’ including Iñaki Godoy, Mackenyu, Emily Rudd, Jacob Gibson, and Taz Skylar appeared on stage to greet the fans. Based on the popular manga series, the first season has been watched by over a hundred million fans around the world.
Iñaki Godoy has this to say about the upcoming season.
“We just wrapped shooting season 2 in South Africa and let me tell you, things are only going to get bigger and better. We’re talking bigger worlds, bigger pirates, bigger adversaries, bigger food, bigger adventures, and bigger giants.”
Mikaela Hoover will voice Chopper in season 2 of ‘One Piece’. Photo: John Schnell/Netflix.
The cast also announced the addition of fan-favorite character Tony Tony Chopper, who will be voiced by actress Mikaela Hoover, and introduced first look footage of the character.
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The second season of ‘One Piece’ is set to premiere on Netflix in 2026.
(L to R) Ben Affleck and Matt Damon speak onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Netflix.
The presentation for director Joe Carnahan’s new police thriller ‘The Rip’, which stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, began with a pre-recorded video of the two actors as their cop characters arresting ‘Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster for eating too many cookies.
(L to R) Cookie Monster, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon attend Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum in Los Angeles on May 31, 2025. Photo: Adam Rose for Netflix.
“It’s great to be back together again on screen and we loved making this movie. It channels some of our all-time favorites like ‘Heat’ and ‘Training Day’.
In the film, Affleck and Damon play Miami cops who discover over 20 million dollars in cash hidden in a suspect’s house, which leads to distrust among their characters and the other police officers.
A new trailer for the film was shown to the audience at the Forum and during the broadcast but is not currently available online. Damon introduced the teaser trailer by saying:
“Netflix was not going to let us show you an exclusive first look at the film. In fact, the studio hasn’t even approved its release, so here is the first and I repeat only look at ‘The Rip’ coming to Netflix on January 16th, 2026.”
(L to R) Oscar Isaac, Guillermo del Toro, and Mia Goth speak onstage Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Netflix.
Next up was visionary director Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ presentation, which began with a video message from actor Jacob Elordi who plays the monster.
“I recently had the great pleasure of playing the creature in Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’. Guillermo is a real-life genius and I’m immensely grateful to be in the film. I’m proud of the work we all put into it.”
Guillermo del Toro himself, as well as actors Oscar Isaac and Mia Goth then took the stage to greet the fans and introduce the teaser trailer for the film.
“Thank you. I’m Guillermo del Toro. This is for me the culmination of a journey that has occupied most of my life. I first read Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ as a kid and saw Boris Karloff in what became for me an almost a religious state. Monsters have become my personal belief system. There are strands of Frankenstein throughout my films, ‘Cronos’, ‘Blade’, ‘Hellboy’, big time on ‘Pinocchio’, and a long, long, etc. Exploring the relationship between humanity and monsters, creator and creation, father and son, has consumed my stories again and again. I wanted to make this film even before I had a camera, and I have actively been pursuing it now for 25 years. It has grown so close to me that now it is my biography. Now, tonight here, finally, we can share it with you.”
(L to R) Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, and Rich Eisen speak onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Netflix.
The highly anticipated ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ was up next, and the presentation began with a mock video including sports broadcasters and athletes like Dan Patrick, Rich Eisen, Bob Costas, Serena Williams, Travis Kelce, and John Cena talking about the legacy of Happy Gilmore as if he was a real person and golfer.
The stage was then set up like a sports broadcast with Rich Eisen interviewing Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, and of course, Adam Sandler. Several supporting cast members including Jon Lovitz and an actor dressed as Abraham Lincoln were in the audience and asked clearly scripted questions.
After that, Sandler had this to say before introducing the final trailer for the sequel.
“First of all, Mr. Lincoln, great job on everything. Netflix, thanks for everything. How about today? This was fun. I’m hoping we have a lot of these. Now I have a question for all you nice people out there. Would anyone like to see the trailer for our new film?”
(L to R) Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin and Finn Wolfhard speak onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Netflix.
One of the most popular TV series in the history of Netflix is coming to an end with the fifth and final season of ‘Stranger Things’. Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin and Noah Schnapp appeared to discuss the experience of making the series and the upcoming final season.
They watched behind the scenes videos from the making of the first season and were joined by Gaten Matarazzo and Millie Bobby Brown via a prerecorded message.
Brown sad this to the audience:
“Hi TUDUM and ‘Stranger Things’ fans, its Millie Bobby Brown. Unfortunately, I can’t be there with you guys because I am filming ‘Enola Holmes 3’ right now in London. But I have so many memories. How could you possibly choose a favorite from four seasons?”
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The three actors on stage then introduced a teaser for season 5, and announced that Volume 1 will premiere on November 26th, with Volume to on Christmas day, and the finale on New Year’s Eve.
(L to R) Luis Guzm·n, Joanna Lumley, Fred Armisen, Isaac Ordonez and Jenna Ortega attend Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Netflix.
“Hello TUDUM. We are so thrilled to be here with you tonight, and by thrilled, I mean quietly bracing for what ever fresh horror Netflix has planned. Truly though I want to thank you for the amazing reception to season one and embracing our world. It really means the most. Here is an exclusive sneak peek at season 2.”
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The footage revealed that Haley Joel Osment will appear in the new season, and it was also officially announced that Grammy winner and Oscar nominee Lady Gaga will have a guest starring role in season 2,
‘Wednesday’ season 2 is scheduled to be released in two parts on August 6th, and September 3rd.
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The big event ended with a three-song performance from Lady Gaga which included ‘Zombieboy’, ‘Abracadabra,’ and “Bloody Mary.’
Lady Gaga Is performing at Netflix Tudum 2025: The Live Event. Photo: Frank Lebon/Netflix.
List of Movies and TV Shows Presented at Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Big Event:
(Left) David Fincher on the set of ‘Mank’. Photo: Gisele Schmidt/Netflix. (Right) Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’. Photo: Netflix.
Preview:
David Fincher is reportedly developing an English-language ‘Squid Game’ series.
It would adapt Hwang Dong-hyuk’s wildly successful thriller series.
Season 2 of the Korean version lands in December.
Following the release of his most recent movie, Netflix release ‘The Killer,’ there has been plenty of speculation about what David Fincher –– he of ‘Se7en,’ ‘Fight Club’ and other classics –– might do next.
Sadly for fans of the much-missed serial killer/FBI thriller series ‘Mindhunter,’ it appears that’s still not on the table.
Most recently, word began to percolate that the filmmaker would be turning his attention to Western pic ‘Bitterroot,’ but a new report from Deadline suggests that he’s now devoting more energy to a long-rumored US version of hugely successful Korean thriller series ‘Squid Game.’
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Talk of the ‘Squid Game’ adaptation cropped up again during those ‘Bitterroot’ reports at the time, it appeared that Netflix was still trying to hammer out details such as the budget. Despite its (relatively) limited locations, the series would still be quite something to mount.
Why would David Fincher want to adapt ‘Squid Game’?
David Fincher on the set of ‘Mank’. Photo: Gisele Schmidt/Netflix.
Though Fincher is more normally found adapting from other media (such as novels) or generating his own original work, the dark themes and plot turns of ‘Squid Game’ are certainly something he could do well.
After all, this is the director who brought us the twisty, deadly challenges of Michael Douglas movie ‘The Game’ and the corporate/societal satire of ‘Fight Club,’ so we’ll have to wait and see if this one turns from rumor to reality.
And it’s all something to think about as you wait for the second season of the Korean series. Talking of…
What’s the story of ‘Squid Game’ Season 2?
A scene from ‘Squid Game’ season 2. Photo: Netflix.
Three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 remains determined to find the people behind the game and put an end to their vicious sport.
Using this fortune to fund his search, Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) starts with the most obvious of places: look for the man in a sharp suit playing ddakji in the subway.
But when his efforts finally yield results, the path toward taking down the organization proves to be deadlier than he imagined: to end the game, he needs to re-enter it.
Who else is in ‘Squid Game’ Season 2?
A scene from ‘Squid Game’ season 2. Photo: Netflix.
Lee Byung-hun returns as Front Man, the game’s leader; Wi Ha-jun, is once again Hwang Jun-ho, a detective who sneaks into the game in search of his brother; while Gong Yoo will be back as the Recruiter, who initially invited Gi-hun to play the game.
‘Squid Game’ Season 2 will launch on Netflix in December.
Season 3 will follow in 2025 and wrap up the story.
Creator/director Hwang Dong-hyuk thanked fans for the show’s success.
Following the release of the first Season 2 images back in February, we were wondering when we might learn the date that ‘Squid Game’ will be back to torture its players –– and, by extension, fans of the show –– with more fiendish challenges.
Turns out, the next season will be a late Christmas surprise, dropping on Netflix on December 26th.
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And that’s not all; the streaming service also revealed that Season 3, which was reportedly shot back to back with the second, will then arrive in 2025. So not as long to wait this time. Green light!
Here’s the date announcement video for Season 2, revealing that “the real game begins”…
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What’s the story of ‘Squid Game’ Season 2?
A scene from ‘Squid Game’ season 2. Photo: Netflix.
Three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 remains determined to find the people behind the game and put an end to their vicious sport.
Using this fortune to fund his search, Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) starts with the most obvious of places: look for the man in a sharp suit playing ddakji in the subway.
But when his efforts finally yield results, the path toward taking down the organization proves to be deadlier than he imagined: to end the game, he needs to re-enter it.
A scene from ‘Squid Game’ season 2. Photo: Netflix.
Lee Byung-hun returns as Front Man, the game’s leader; Wi Ha-jun, is once again Hwang Jun-ho, a detective who sneaks into the game in search of his brother; while Gong Yoo will be back as the Recruiter, who initially invited Gi-hun to play the game.
A scene from ‘Squid Game’ season 2. Photo: Netflix.
Creator/showrunner/director Hwang Dong-hyuk released the following statement as part of Netflix’s announcement about the new seasons:
“It’s been almost three years since Season 1 was met with incredible response around the world and many unimaginable events took place. On the first day we began shooting Season 2, I remember thinking, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I’m back in the world of Squid Game.’ It almost felt surreal. I wonder how it will feel for you to be back in Squid Game after three years as well. Seong Gi-hun who vowed revenge at the end of Season 1 returns and joins the game again. Will he succeed in getting his revenge? Front Man doesn’t seem to be an easy opponent this time either. The fierce clash between their two worlds will continue into the series finale with Season 3, which will be brought to you next year. I am thrilled to see that the seed that was planted in creating a new Squid Game grow and bear fruit through the end of this story. We’ll do our best to make sure we bring you yet another thrill ride.”
When will ‘Squid Game’s second season land on Netflix?
As mentioned above, ‘Squid Game’ Season 2 will land on December 26th –– just when everyone is tired of feeling festive and is ready for some sick, twisted games.
Accordingly, Season 3 should be with us at some point in 2025.
A scene from ‘Squid Game’ season 2. Photo: Netflix.
Landing on Disney+ on June 4th with its first two episodes, ‘The Acolyte’ sees ‘Russian Doll’ co-creator and showrunner Leslye Headland given the chance to put her own stamp on that galaxy far, far away. And based on the initial episodes provided to press, has come up with something that hews more towards the nuance of ‘Andor’ than some of the recent bloated mythology powering small-screen ‘Star Wars’.
‘The Acolyte’ boasts some impressive performances from an even more diverse cast that the likes of ‘The Mandalorian’, and –– so far, at least –– is one of the better Disney+ offerings.
After the galaxy of space fantasy stories originated by George Lucas came soaring back –– this time to small screens –– under guidance of Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni with ‘The Mandalorian’, we’ve mostly been spending time in their shared world of post-‘Return of the Jedi’ adventures featuring the bounty hunter and his merchandise-motherlode companion Grogu (AKA “Baby Yoda”).
There have certainly been detours elsewhere (most notably Tony Gilroy’s darker, deeper ‘Andor’, which followed the title character (played by Diego Luna) in the years before ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’, and now, via Headland, this latest effort. Though it feels a lot like classic ‘Star Wars’ –– there are Jedis, lightsabers and droids everywhere –– the new show also has a grown-up, more nuanced approach to the story, letting you ponder the nature of good, evil and the use of the Force in its moments of stillness broken by impressive fight scenes.
Leslye Headland is certainly not the first person you would expect to be handed (or want to make) a new ‘Star Wars’ series, but that definitely works in its favor. The writer/director best known for Netflix series ‘Russian Doll’ and movies such as ‘Bachelorette’ and ‘Sleeping with Other People.’ But it’s clear from this that she also brings a passion for intense, and interesting ‘Star Wars’ to the new show.
Working alongside a writing team that also includes Jason Micallef, Kor Adana, Charmaine DeGrate, Jasmyne Flournoy, Jocelyn Bioh, Claire Kiechel, Jen Richards, Eileen Shim and Cameron Squires, she has come up with a story that focuses on Amandla Stenberg’s dual role as sister Osha and Mae, one a former Jedi recruit, the other burning with revenge against the order. We won’t go too much further into the plot so as to leave the narrative spoilers intact, but the series in its early going dials down into a very personal story of pain and redemption and tackles the idea of the Jedi in a fresh new way.
Setting the story when the order is at its height and peace is seemingly prosperous in the galaxy, allows for exploring the basic concepts of ‘Star Wars’ with appealing thought and emotion. As one character says, “it’s not about good or bad. It’s about power, and who gets to utilize it.” While the idea of people feeling less than thrilled with the Jedi is something that has been touched on before, this is a more complicated story that is still easy to grasp.
Headland also directs a couple of episodes, working here with some regular collaborators including Hanelle M. Culpepper, Alex Garcia Lopez and Kogonada, and the show is a visual treat, eschewing an overuse of volume work for plenty of practical sets and location shooting that, while it doesn’t rival ‘Andor’ for tactility, is still a great watch.
Amandla Stenberg carries the emotional load of the series, playing twin sisters whose lives diverge in very different ways. They bring real depth to the characters, making for an engaging lead and guide through the story.
The ‘Squid Games’ veteran is also given the chance to play a complicated character, as his Sol is a Jedi master burdened with guilt and looking for a chance to vanquish the ghosts of his past. He brings a deep well of feeling to the character and is always watchable.
Keen, seen in ‘Logan’ and HBO’s ‘His Dark Materials’, is a Padawan who serves alongside Sol. Keen brings her to life with charm and bright-eyed energy, and a sprit that makes her more than just a robed warrior.
We’d also give nods to Manny Jacinto as Qimir, a moral-free type who helps Mae on her vengeful quest and has ties to the mysterious master who has helped her hone her Force-wielding skills. ‘The Good Place’ star is always entertaining and brings goofiness tinged with darkness to the screen.
And then there is Jodie Turner-Smith, playing a role we won’t discuss at this juncture, but offers her usual presence to the role, stillness balanced with power.
Finally, Carrie-Anne Moss is one of the headliners, but so far in the series hasn’t had too much chance to make an impact beyond an initial cool fight scene.
The “anti-woke” brigade and those who whine about any differences ruining their childhood experience of ‘Star Wars’ might not love what they see, but everyone else should find something to enjoy.
‘The Acolyte’ works on different levels, at once channeling old school ‘Star Wars’ while offering new viewpoints on traditional stories. If this and ‘Andor’ are what happens when Lucasfilm ventures outside of the usual channels for their trips to that galaxy, then long may they continue to experiment.
‘The Acolyte’: receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘The Acolyte’?
In ‘The Acolyte’, An investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems…
The first teaser trailer for ‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ has arrived.
This new series stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae and Carrie-Anne Moss.
‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ lands on Disney+ on June 4th.
Though ‘The Bad Batch’ has been keeping the ‘Star Wars’ flag flying on the small screen in animated fashion, we haven’t had a Lucasfilm/Disney+ live-action series set in that galaxy far, far away for a few months now, since ‘Ahsoka’ finished its first season in October.
If you saw the stylish, bloody poster for ‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ that arrived yesterday, you know that we don’t have too long to wait for the next one to show up. And it certainly looks like the poster was simply a harbinger of things to come –– given what happens in the first trailer for the show, it’s definitely promising something moodier, and even more action packed than recent efforts.
And setting the story outside of the ‘Wars’ narrative we’ve all gotten so used to in movies and TV is a plus too, since it allows the creative team to go to interesting places and introduce brand new characters.
The new show is set around 100 years before the start of the Skywalker Saga (AKA ‘The Phantom Menace’), coming in at the end of a time period known as The High Republic –– a time in which the Jedi are thriving, as is the galaxy at large.
But this is ‘Star Wars’, and if we know anything, it’s that the dark side can’t be too far away! And so it proves: an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems….
Also featured? Current Chewbacca suit-wearer Joonas Suotamo, back on Wookiee duty, but this time as hairy Jedi Kelnacca.
This series is the brainchild of Leslye Headland, who previously worked on the likes of time-twisting comedy drama ‘Russian Doll’. Here, as with that series, she runs the show and directs the first two episodes, with Kogonada, Alex Garcia Lopez and Hanelle Culpepper each handling two of the eight-episode run.
The new ‘Star Wars’ series lands on Disney+ with its first two episodes on June 4th.
“June the 4th be with you”? Hhhm… doesn’t have the same ring as “May”, but then the month before is being devoted to a theatrical re-release for ‘The Phantom Menace’.
A scene from ‘Squid Game’ season 2. Photo: Netflix.
Preview:
The first images of ‘Squid Game’ Season 2 are online.
Star Lee Jung-jae will be back with a mix of returning and new cast.
Netflix released a trailer for its new and returning shows for 2024.
The wait for a new season of ‘Squid Game’ has been almost as torturous as some of the twists in the first run, all the way back in 2021.
‘Squid Game’ become Netflix’s most-watched show, with the company estimating that subscribers worldwide streamed 1.65 billion hours of the show in the first 28 days of its release. It inspired many Halloween costumes based on the contestants’ numbered green tracksuits and the orange jumpsuit/face mask combination sported by guards on the show.
And while last year’s reality show ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ may have tried to tide us all over, it was far from the real thing. The good news for fans, then, is that it’ll be back for a second season this year, with pictures to prove it.
A scene from ‘Squid Game’ season 2. Photo: Netflix.
Season One saw 456 cash-poor contestants are invited by a mysterious organization to compete in a series of children’s games – with deadly consequences – to win a piece of the ₩45.6 billion prize pool (around $38.5 million).
If you’re one of the potentially three people where Netflix is available that somehow didn’t watch the show, we won’t spoil anything further.
What will happen in the new season?
A scene from ‘Squid Game’ season 2. Photo: Netflix.
If you’re desperate for any tiny morsel of information, the details are so far very limited.
Here’s all we know… “Main man Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) abandons his US plans after a mysterious call and embarks on a chase with a motive.”
The new season will also welcome other beloved characters back like Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) and Recruiter (Gong Yoo). Adding to the intrigue, a new character played by Park Gyu-young makes her debut, sparking curiosity about the new character.
What other shows and movies will come to Netflix in 2024?
For those eager to hunt for more clues as to what will be happening, footage from ‘Squid Game’s second season was included in a big new trailer released by Netflix.
The trailer featured a wealth of looks at shows both old and new, plus movies that will launch. So if you’re a fan of ‘Cobra Kai’, ‘The Diplomat’, ‘Bridgerton’ and ‘Sweet Tooth’ or are anticipating new series including ‘3 Body Problem’, ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ and the arrival of movies such as ‘Axel F’, ‘Hit Man’, and the second entry in Zack Snyder’s ‘Rebel Moon’ franchise, chances are you’ll find something to get excited about here.
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Check out the trailer…
When will ‘Squid Game’s second season land on Netflix?
The streaming service has yet to confirm when the show will hit our screens, so for now we’ll just have to keep on waiting. Red light!
A scene from ‘Squid Game’ season 2. Photo: Netflix.
Did you watch ‘Squid Game’ on Netflix? Many people did, so there’s a good chance.
But did you see the show and think to yourself, ‘hhhm… the chance to win a lot of money while putting my mortal life at risk certainly seems like something I want to do!’
You’re in luck –– and you (probably) don’t have to put your life on the line to do it. Because Netflix has a reality show competition version of the show, with the first season headed our way in a couple of months. The first teaser for the show is now online.
Created by movie writer/director Hwang Dong-hyuk, and first on screens in 2021, the Korean thriller series is threaded with emotionally resonant drama and violence, and topical social critique.
In Season 1, 456 cash-poor contestants are invited by a mysterious organization to compete in a series of children’s games – with deadly consequences – to win a piece of the ₩45.6 billion prize pool (around $38.5 million).
Our way into this world is Seong Gi-hun, played by Lee Jung-jae, who gets the player number 456 and ends up discovering that the chance to escape financial dire straits comes with some very dangerous caveats.
The series quickly become Netflix’s most-watched show, with the company estimating that subscribers worldwide streamed 1.65 billion hours of the show in the first 28 days of its release.
It inspired many Halloween costumes based on the contestants’ numbered green tracksuits and the orange jumpsuit/face mask combination sported by guards on the show.
It won’t shock you to know that Season 2 is in production.
“456 real players will enter the competition show in pursuit of a life-changing reward of $4.56 million. As they compete through a series of games inspired by the original show –– plus surprising new additions –– their strategies, alliances, and character will be put to the test while competitors are eliminated around them.”
So, yes, essentially the same thing, only with less chance of death or discovering that (spoiler alert for the three people who haven’t watched the show) that not everyone is quite who they seem.
But from the sounds of it, there were still issues…
What were the reported problems on the set of the show?
According to reports in Britain’s The Sun Newspaper and Rolling Stone, contestants faced “inhumane” conditions.
Four players recalled how a two-hour game lasted up to nine hours in freezing temperatures, with one claiming he suffered a herniated disc and a torn knee tendon during production. Another participant claimed to have developed pneumonia and an ear infection.
One described a situation in which a woman was “convulsing on the floor” while other contestants remained frozen in place, scared of being eliminated.
A health and safety assessment concluded that the producers needed to do a better job planning for risk but that no further action was required.
With Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni overseeing the ‘Mandalorian’ expanded small screen universe, the company has naturally used the success of that first show to build out others, some created by the main duo, some by different creative teams.
There were new details and looks at a variety of shows, so here’s what was talked about…
In production before any of the other series spotlighted today, the series following the further adventures of the Togruta from the planet Shili, a Padawan turned Jedi known as Ahsoka Tano had the most to show off, including a trailer that is now online.
Led by Filoni behind the scenes, the series follows the former Jedi knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy –– specifically Grand Admiral Thrawn, a villain created by Timothy Zahn for his novel series. He’s already in screen canon thanks to appearances on Filoni’s animated series ‘Star Wars Rebels’ and will now be live-action, though his casting as yet to be announced.
Also making the leap from ‘Rebels’ (since Ashoka also appeared on that show) are Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and cranky droid Chopper, with the promise of others. It’s worth noting that another Rebels regular, Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios showed up in one scene of last week’s ‘The Mandalorian’.
“It was natural he would make the transition to live action,” Kathleen Kennedy said of Filoni on stage. “He has done a spectacular job.” Favreau concurred: “He cares deeply. He poured his heart and soul into it. Dave is unique in that he doesn’t ever squash your inspiration or idea but finds a way to fit it in, to keep it in the tradition that George Lucas started.” Dawson, for her part, said she had “so many pinch me moments” making the show. “Because if this does well, maybe we’ll get a second season. It’s up to y’all!” she told the 4,500-strong crowd.
The trailer is stacked with action, primarily Ahsoka showing off her trademark double lightsaber skills, plus plenty of starships dogfighting.
The pair have come up with a series set around the same time as ‘The Mandalorian’, which follows the journey of four kids who make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, then get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home — and meeting unlikely allies and enemies — will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.
Jude Law stars alongside younger actors Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Kyriana Kratter and Robert Timothy Smith and Ryan Kiera Armstrong. There’s no word yet on when the show will land on Disney+.
‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’ will be premiering on Disney+ in 2023.
‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’
‘The Acolyte’ promises to take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes but discovers the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.
Series creator Leslye Headland wowed the crowd with a sneak peek at the upcoming show. Headland arrived on stage, escorted by Kelnacca, and previewed footage from the mystery-thriller series alongside several of the stars.
With production underway now, the series won’t hit Disney+ until next year, but that still is likely to be ahead of the new run of another big series set in the ‘Star Wars’ galaxy…
Lucasfilm’s ‘The Acolyte.’
‘Star Wars: Andor’
There was also word from Team ‘Andor,’ with showrunner Tony Gilroy joined by stars Diego Luna, Adria Arjona, Kyle Soller, Denise Gough, Genevieve O’Reilly, Andy Serkis, Muhannad Bahair and Joplin Sibtain to talk about the successful first season and preview footage from the second and final run of 12 episodes, which have yet to schedule a release date on Disney+.
Oh, and for fans of the show that started it all, there was naturally a ‘Mandalorian’ treat, as the next episode of the series was shown on the big screen for fans.
There is a lot to look forward to on the TV front, and, unlike the big movie announcements, we can be reasonably assured they will all hit screens. Stay tuned for more from the event as it unfolds.
The cast of ‘Andor’ at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
(L to R) Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, and Leslye Headland behind the scenes of ‘The Acolyte.’
As the cameras start to roll on another series set in that ‘Star Wars’ galaxy far, far away, the cast has officially been revealed for ‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’.
And while some names – Amandla Stenberg, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, for three – had already emerged from different sources, this is the first full confirmation of everyone.
Leslye Headland, whose filmmaking credits include ‘Sleeping With Other People’, and ‘Bachelorette’, also has TV experience via ‘Russian Doll’. She created and is serving as head writer on ‘The Acolyte’ and is also directing the pilot.
According to the official ‘Star Wars’ site, the series is a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.
The High Republic saw the Jedi Order at its prime, centuries prior to the events of ‘Star Wars: The Phantom Menace’.
Korean actor Lee Jung-jae recently won an Emmy for his lead role in Netflix hit ‘Squid Game’ and is the star, director and producer of action thriller ‘Hunt’ which arrives in US theaters on December 2nd.
Disney+ announces the cast for ‘The Acolyte,’ an upcoming Star Wars Original series from Lucasfilm. The cast includes Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Charlie Barnett, Dean-Charles Chapman, and Carrie-Anne Moss.
Dafne Keen broke out playing Laura, AKA X-23 in ‘Logan’ opposite Hugh Jackman and is main character Lyra Belacqua in HBO’s ‘His Dark Materials’ series adaptation.
Carrie-Anne Moss needs little introduction given her role as Trinity in the ‘Matrix’ movies, but she’s also been seen in the likes of ‘Jessica Jones’, ‘Memento’ and ‘Disturbia’.
