Composer Jung Jaeil needed a translator for his session of Sound & Screen Television but he knew exactly what to say in English when he was asked for teasers about the third and final season of Squid Game.
“I’m not allowed,” he declared.
But Jung did admit he “poured my heart and soul into the score for Season 3” to help realize the vision of director Hwang Dong-hyuk. In fact, it was his respect for Hwang’s work on the Korean series The Fortress that first persuaded him to create the music for the hit Netflix show.
Jung Jae Il at Deadline’s Sound & Screen Television
JC Olivera/Deadline
Jung spoke on the Sound & Screen panel about having to balance elements like blood and massacre with a little bit of humor.
“Season 2 has a lot more character than Season 1,” he said through his translator. One of his favorite parts was creating the music for “a particular episode where you see a lot of characters come together, cheering each other on, coming together as one. This episode you can really see the humanity that the director wants to show on screen.”
Jung also admitted that he tries not to go the epic route when building tension in the score. “I went for the traditional music, which included quirky or weird noises. We used a lot of weird vocal sounds as a well as strange instruments to create this mood.”
Squid Game will return for its third and final season June 27, only six months after Season 2 launched on the streamer on Boxing Day.
While many expected the dystopian drama to perhaps get another Christmas bow, the fact that seasons two and three were filmed at the same time has allowed Netflix to return to the world quickly. The move could also bolster Squid Game’s Emmy chances as the third season will be airing during the voting window for Season 2, much like The Bear did last year.
Check back Monday for the panel video.
