‘Squid Game’ might be over (or at least, its original, South Korean version is), but Netflix is surely not done with Hwang Dong-hyuk, the show’s creator.
On Wednesday, the streaming giant announced it has approved the screenwriter’s new project, which will be called ‘The Dealer’.
The series is described as a ‘crime drama’ set in a casino, and it will follow a card dealer who becomes embroiled in the shady world of gambling.
The cast for the show was also announced: Jung So-min, from ‘Love Next Door’, and ‘Alchemy of Souls’, will star as Geonhwa, the show’s protagonist.
Ryoo Seung-bum, Lee Soo-hyuk, and Ryu Kyung-soo have also been cast in the series.
Ryu Kyung-soo, of ‘Itaewon Class’ fame, will play the role of a detective – and Geonhwa’s fiancé.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: From Joseon canvases to Netflix screens, a tiger’s long journey
A new bet for Hwang Dong-hyuk
The official synopsis, released by Netflix, reads: “‘The Dealer’ centers on Geonhwa, a gifted casino dealer whose life is upended when her wedding plans collapse after she becomes entangled in a housing scam.”
“Forced back into a world she had deliberately left behind, Geonhwa plunges into the shadowy underworld of illegal gambling – and is compelled to tap long-suppressed supernatural abilities that give her an unnatural edge at the tables as she fights to reclaim control of her future.”
It is an ambitious new project for Hwang Dong-hyuk, who previously complained about the psychological and physical stress that writing ‘Squid Game’’s three seasons caused him.
The dystopian TV show was recognised as Netflix’s most-watched show to date, beating hugely popular Netflix originals such as ‘Stranger Things’, and ‘Wednesday’.
However, that success came with a cost.
Hwang revealed his health took a plunge while writing the show, stating he had lost “eight or nine” teeth from the pressure of filming season one.
“I thought I was going to be okay, but this time I had to pull out two more teeth as well,” he said back in July, when the third (and last) season of the show was released.
‘The Dealer’ will be directed by cinematographer Choi Young-hwan, who will make his directorial debut after working on South Korean movies such as ‘Smugglers’, ‘The Thieves’, and ‘Veteran’.
READ NEXT: Golden Globes spark backlash after ‘Sinners’ best original score win cut from TV broadcast
Angelica N. Hall 
Shameeka Voyiya 
Carmela Calling