After spending years providing us with some of the best audiovisual productions from around the world while going unnoticed by the general public, South Korean industry ended up conquering the West in a matter of five years; first thanks to the splendid ‘Parasites’ by Bong Joon-ho and, later, with the equally brilliant Netflix series ‘The Squid Game’, which has become an international phenomenon.
change of sights
But beyond the commercial success and recognition by the public, Hwang Dong-hyuk’s cathodic production also has affected the point of view of some of the biggest names in the business. This includes a steven spielberg who, during a panel at the PGA Awards, celebrated the streaming platform’s courage to greenlight a show with a cast with no familiar faces beyond their country of origin.
For King Midas of Hollywood, this has completely changed the landscape:
“‘The Squid Game’ came along and completely changed the logic for all of us. Thanks, Ted [Sarandos]. Long ago, it was the local stars who brought the public to the movies. Today, it’s interesting, unknown people who can star in entire miniseries, can work in movies.”
It should be remembered that Spielberg, through his wonderful ‘West Side Story’, has introduced us to the talent of the hitherto unknown Rachel Zegler, whose debut on the big screen as Maria has fallen in love with half the world. However, for the filmmaker, making a signing of this style possible has the condition of having a star among the cast, which in this case was Ansel Elgort.
“They need a main star. If there is one with whom [los espectadores] familiar, you can surround them with less familiar faces.