Steven Spielberg Praises Squid Game’s Casting Choices

Directing icon Steven Spielberg has praised the hit Netflix series Squid Game for casting actors who were generally unknown within western entertainment. The South Korean drama centres around a game show in which 456 contestants, all of whom are in dire financial circumstances, are given the opportunity to win ₩45.6 billion (roughly $38 million) by playing a series of traditional Korean children’s games, including the show’s namesake. However, the forfeit for losing is death, placing far more at stake for the contestants than just economic ruin. Since its premiere in September 2021, Squid Game has become Netflix’s most-watched series, accumulating 1.65 billion viewing hours within its first four weeks, and receiving widespread critical acclaim. Following its global success, Netflix has confirmed Squid Game season 2.

The survival drama was acquired by Netflix in 2019 when the streamer began to expand its catalogue of original foreign-language programming, and features a number of South Korean actors who were previously not widely known in western cinema. Stars Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-joon, Jung Ho-yeon, O Yeong-su, Kim Joo-ryoung, Heo Sung-tae and Anupam Tripathi gained worldwide recognition overnight for their performances in Squid Game. The cast also achieved nominations for various international awards, with O Yeong-su winning the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and Lee Jung-jae and Jung Ho-yeon receiving the SAG Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Male and Female Actor, respectively.

The casting of Squid Game has now gained further praise from one of Hollywood’s most revered and iconic directors. As reported by Deadline, Spielberg lauded the drama for casting actors who were unfamiliar to most western audiences and “[changing] the math entirely for all of us.” Speaking on a panel at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles, the director thanked Ted Sarandos, the chief content officer for Netflix, for his role in altering traditional perceptions of how familiar names and stars typically gain audiences. Read his full comment below:

“Squid Game comes along and changes the math entirely for all of us. Thank you, Ted. A long time ago it was domestic stars that brought the audience into movies. Today, it’s interesting, unknown people can star entire miniseries, can be in movies.”

Spielberg himself is not unfamiliar with the practice of casting new and unheard-of actors in leading roles. He recently cast newcomer Rachel Zegler as Maria Vasquez for his West Side Story reboot, which not only marked the actor’s feature film debut but also earned her a Best Actress Golden Globe Award. As such, Spielberg’s praise for Squid Game doesn’t come as a huge surprise. However, his claim that the series “changes the math entirely,” suggests that it has altered Spielberg’s own perceptions abut casting for high-budget movies and TV shows, and his thanks to Sarandos implies that Squid Game has opened the door to new possibilities the director may want to pursue.

With Spielberg citing his admiration for Squid Game, it may lead many to wonder whether the director will take a page out of Netflix’s book for his future projects. Squid Game‘s unprecedented success, coupled with the fact that Zegler’s casting for West Side Story has been met with similar acclaim, may encourage Spielberg to attempt to push the casting boat out further for his next films by featuring even more newcomers in starring roles. However, regardless of how far Spielberg may choose to take inspiration from the Netflix drama, the director’s praise for Squid Game has succinctly captured just how much it has fundamentally challenged the industry’s belief in the importance of big names in guaranteeing a project’s success.

Source: Deadline

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