Hwang Dong-hyuk, the creator, writer, and director behind Squid Game, says the physical toll of finishing the series got painfully literal: he lost two additional teeth while making the final season.
In an interview, Hwang said he previously had to remove “about eight” teeth during Season 1 — and that this time, “two teeth more” came out as well. He added that he still hasn’t replaced them yet and is “waiting for them.”
Why was the last stretch so demanding
Hwang explained that Seasons 2 and 3 were, in some ways, easier creatively because the world and visual language were already established — but harder logistically because the production schedule was relentless.
He described the process as essentially making one long run: writing and shooting in one continuous push over roughly a year, which he said was “very physically demanding.”
This isn’t the first time he’s linked the show to serious stress
Hwang’s “teeth” comments have been part of a longer, well-documented story about how intense the series has been to produce. In earlier coverage tied to his BBC interview, Hwang corrected reports about losing “half a dozen” teeth during Season 1, saying it was actually “eight or nine.”
The final season’s timing and what Hwang says he wanted to leave behind
Netflix announced Season 3 as the third and final season, with a June 27, 2025 premiere date — the same date referenced in entertainment coverage of Hwang’s interview.
In that final-season framing, Hwang has also said he wanted the ending to wrestle with how people preserve their humanity amid intense competition — aiming to leave viewers with a concluding question rather than a simple victory lap.
