The 2nd season of the popular South Korean TV show, Squid Game was confirmed last year, much to the excitement of the fans. However, Netflix has just recently announced the lineup of the actors who will be returning to the show, as well as some new faces that the audience can see.
Of course, Lee Jung-Jae will return as the main character, Gi-Hun, and according to a report by the Korean media Dispatch, he allegedly asked for a hefty salary – USD 1 million per episode, which is approximately a whopping RM4.6 million. And that amount is for 1 episode, not the entire season.
At the time of writing, it is unclear yet how many episodes Squid Game Season 2 will consist of. The 1st season has 9 episodes, and assuming the sequel shares the same number of episodes, just imagine how much Jung-Jae will be earning.
When it comes to payment for the actors, do you think those in Malaysia will have the luxury of earning THAT much?
Local actor, Sharnaaz Ahmad recently responded to the news about Jung-Jae’s alleged salary for Squid Game Season 2 via his Instagram story, where he hinted about the fate of some actors in Malaysia.
“Malaysia? Some actors are still chasing after their payment.”
Sharnaaz also criticised some of the people who are responsible for making sure the actors get paid on time.
“This is what happens someone disastrous becomes the ‘captain’,” Sharnaaz added.
The Polis Evo 3 actor did not mention any names or companies. However, it seems that it’s (sadly) common for some production companies to delay payment, or offer only a small amount of pay for a lot of work. Earlier this year, a veteran actress revealed that she was only paid RM200 for a telefilm, which she also described as “nothing new”.
Adi Putra, the actor who played Mat Kilau also revealed that he did not receive a bonus despite the movie’s outstanding box-office performance.
As of now, the release date for the 2nd season of Squid Game has not been revealed yet but it’s not a surprise that we may need to wait a little longer. Regardless, what do you think of Jung-Jae’s alleged pay? Do you think he deserved it for his performance?
Also read: Mat Kilau Actor Says He Did Not Receive Bonus Despite Movie Grossing RM100mil at Box Office
