Much like how Alibaba’s founder Jack Ma got rejected from 30 jobs, including KFC, before becoming one of the richest men in the world, the director of Squid Game, a show currently ranking number 1 in many countries, had to endure 10 years of rejection before achieving its success today.
A tweet by The Numbers Game on Monday (Oct 4) has gone viral with over 623,000 likes as it highlights the importance of perseverance in one’s endeavours.
“‘Squid Game’ creator Hwang Dong-hyuk wrote the show in 2009 but was rejected by studios for 10 years,” the tweet reads.
“He once had to stop writing the script and sell his $675 laptop due to money struggles. Today it’s number 1 in 90 countries and set to become the most-watched show in Netflix history.”
Reports noted that investors, actors and studios did not see the script’s potential for a decade, deeming its plotline too “gory, grotesque and unrealistic,” according to Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
Surprising even Netflix executives, the South Korean dystopian drama is set to surpass the platform’s current record holders, “Bridgerton” and “Lupin,” for the total volume of hours watched and the number of subscribers who continued watching for at least two minutes.
“It’s still trending up,” said Minyoung Kim, Netflix’s supervisor of creative activities in the Asia-Pacific region, excluding India.
“We’ve never seen anything grow as fast and aggressive as ‘Squid Game,'” she added.
It was reported that Mr Hwang, 50, also had to stop writing the script at one point after selling his laptop for cash.
Timing also played a part in the script’s acceptance and success, with Netflix perceiving the class struggles in the episodes as a mirror of reality.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the global economy, it exacerbated the disparity between the rich and the poor, Mr Hwang was quoted saying by WSJ.
“The world has changed. All of these points made the story very realistic for people compared to a decade ago,” he added
To date, “Squid Game” is Korea’s first show to hit the top trending spot in the United States. /TISG
‘Squid Game’ creator Hwang Dong-hyuk wrote the show in 2009 but was rejected by studios for 10 years.
He once had to stop writing the script + sell his $675 laptop due to money struggles.
Today, it’s #1 in 90 countries + set to become the most-watched show in Netflix history. pic.twitter.com/RbFr8JeW1m
— The Numbers Game (@Tngtweets1) October 4, 2021
Read related: ‘Squid Game’ Korean actress has a Malaysian doppelgänger?
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