Squid Game Creator Earned Little From Show Despite Grossing Netflix $900 Million
It's difficult to dispute that Squid Game has become a serious money maker for Netflix. In fact, the South Korean-made juggernaut has netted the streaming service over nine hundred million dollars since its premiere, helping to not only usher in a second season confirmation, but a reality show challenge to boot. Unfortunately, it would seem that the creator of the runaway hit, Hwang Dong-hyuk, has seen none of the wild profits that Netflix has received since Squid Game hit the platform in 2021.
According to a new report by the LA Times, Dong-hyuk was merely paid a flat fee when he sold his series to Netflix, meaning that he hasn't been able to score any residuals from the high profits that Squid Game saw. The contract that the Squid Game creator signed also forfeited his rights to all intellectual property related to the killer game. Dong-hyuk did win an Emmy for the first season of Squid Game and is set to return as both director and Executive Producer for the upcoming second season.
Squid Game Creator's Comments on Pay
When Squid Games hit the scene, Hwang said the following to The Guardian when it came to his original payment from the streaming service, "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."
Squid Game has seen quite a bit of controversy as of late, not just thanks to the television series, but the Netflix reality show, "Squid Game: The Challenge". The series, arriving on the streaming platform later this year, houses 456 contestants looking to participate in games similar to the ones seen in the Korean drama. With contestants airing their grievances of poor working conditions and some even stating that the reality game show was rigged, the controversies haven't stopped Netflix's plans of bringing the series to its service in 2023.
Netflix did respond to the LA Times story, stating the following in relation to Dong-hyuk's original compensation, "We pay fair, highly competitive rates with our K-Content creators and set clear standards for our Korean production partners, who produce all our shows and movies. These standards meet or exceed Korean law."