"This can't be real, right? I hope not!" - LeBron James reacts to Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk's comments
LeBron James' recent comments about South Korean TV series Squid Game have garnered some attention from the show's creator.
Squid Game is currently the most popular series in Netflix history, with millions of people worldwide having watched the survival drama since its release.
In the postgame press conference following the LA Lakers' 2021-22 NBA season opener this month, LeBron James was seen discussing the show with teammate Anthony Davis.
James referenced the finale of the show when he told Davis:
"I didn't like the ending, though. I know it's supposed to start off season two, but get on that f**king flight and see your daughter. What are you doing?"
Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk responded to LeBron James' comments in an interview with The Guardian on Tuesday. He initially joked:
"Have you seen Space Jam 2?"
The 50-year-old then said:
"LeBron James is cool and can say what he wants. I respect that. I’m very thankful he watched the whole series. But I wouldn’t change my ending. That’s my ending. If he has his own ending that would satisfy him, maybe he could make his own sequel. I’ll check it out and maybe send him a message saying, 'I liked your whole show, except the ending.'"
After hearing about Hwang Dong-hyuk's response to his comments, LeBron James took to Twitter to express his delight:
"This can't be real, right? I hope not!"
This can’t be real right??!! I hope not 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 twitter.com/sinow/status/1…
LeBron James familiar with the process of filmmaking
The Squid Game finale has left many fans, including LeBron James, unsatisfied even though it potentially set up a second season for the show.
While the LA Lakers superstar is not a series writer, he is certainly no stranger to films. Having played the protagonist in the sequel to 1996's original Space Jam movie, Space Jam: A New Legacy, James is familiar with the process of filmmaking.
The movie itself did not enjoy much box-office success, and the writing was heavily criticized.
#SquidGame creator Hwang Dong-hyuk responds to LeBron James' criticism of show's finale:
“Have you seen Space Jam 2? LeBron James is cool & can say what he wants. I respect that. I’m very thankful he watched the whole series. But I wouldn’t change my ending. That's my ending.” https://t.co/NZIog0HWGu
Meanwhile, the overall success of Squid Game has created opportunities for Hwang Dong-hyuk to work on a sequel.
The show's first season was inspired by Hwang Dong-hyuk's own financial struggles and is a social commentary on the nature of a capitalist societal structure. It brilliantly explores the desperate nature of people who are victims of this unjust system.
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