Desk Report
Published: 13 Oct 2021, 05:38 pm
A scene from squid game || Photo: Collected
We all assumed it, but now it's official: Squid Game is
Netflix's most successful series debut ever.
In its first 28 days, the Korean drama drew 111 million
viewers, pushing Bridgerton (82 million) off the top place.
Anyone who watches two minutes of a show on Netflix counts as a view.
The show's success, according to Netflix's vice president of
programming for Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, is "beyond
our wildest aspirations."
"We knew we wanted to develop world-class tales for the
core K-content fans across Asia and the world when we first started investing
in Korean series and films in 2015," Minyoung Kim told CNN.
"Today, Squid Game has surpassed our wildest expectations."
The nine-part series, which premiered in September, follows
a bunch of misfits as they participate in a variety of kids' playground games.
The prize is 45.6 billion Korean won (£28 million), which
doesn't seem like much until you consider that if you lose, you'll be killed.
Everyone has been talking about Squid Game, from celebrities
to sportsmen.
According to Forbes, Jung Ho-yeon, who plays Sae-byeok, has
14 million Instagram followers since the drama premiered on September 17th.