The creator of Squid Game isn’t slowing down.
Netflix has officially started production on a brand-new Korean series that’s being positioned as the platform’s next major phenomenon — and it comes from the same creative force behind Squid Game.
The New Series Is Called The Dealer
Netflix has announced its next Korean drama, titled The Dealer, and filming is already underway.
The series is being produced by Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk, with Firstman Studios — the same company behind Squid Game — handling production.
What Is The Dealer About?
Netflix describes the story as a high-stakes crime drama centered on a woman forced into a dangerous world:
The show follows Geonhwa, “a brilliant casino dealer whose wedding plans suddenly fall apart, forcing her to unleash her long-hidden powers and plunge into the dangerous world of gambling, in order to successfully make it down the aisle,” according to a summary from Netflix.
Netflix also describes Geonhwa as “an exceptionally adept and seasoned dealer who has lived a life far removed from the vices of the casino floor.”
Main Cast Revealed
The lead cast of The Dealer includes:
- Jung So-min as Geonhwa — known for Love Reset, Alchemy of Souls, Love Next Door, and Would You Marry Me?
- Lee Soo-hyuk as Jo Jun — a casino player with “razor-sharp skills and an impenetrable poker face.”
- Ryu Kyung-soo as Choi Wooseung — “a detective and Geonhwa’s fiancé” who “shows a very different side at work” and “never lets a suspect slip away.”
- Ryoo Seung-bum in an as-yet-unrevealed role.
- A New Director With a Strong Visual Background
The series marks the directorial debut of Choi Young-hwan, who previously worked as a cinematographer on:
- Smugglers
- Veteran
- Tazza: The High Rollers
The Thieves
With Hwang Dong-hyuk producing and Firstman Studios returning, Netflix is clearly betting big on this project.
What About Squid Game — Is It Really Over?
Squid Game officially ended with Season 3 in 2025.
The final season opened strong, pulling in:
- 46.3 million views
- 283.8 million hours watched in its second week alone
Even though the story concluded, fans have continued to hope for more.
The Creator Has Already Thought About a Spinoff
In July 2025, Hwang Dong-hyuk revealed he had already considered a possible spinoff idea:
“I actually had this faint ideation about possibly a spinoff,” he said at that time. “Not a sequel, but maybe a spinoff about the three-year gap between Season 1 and Season 2 when Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) looks around for the recruiters,” he said, adding, “There is that three-year period, and maybe I could have a portrayal of what the recruiters or Captain Park (Oh Dal-su) or officers or masked men were doing in that period, not inside the gaming arena, but their life outside of that. So that is some vague ideation that I have that could possibly be developed in the future.”
So while Squid Game itself has ended, its universe might not be completely closed.
When Will The Dealer Premiere?
Netflix has not yet announced a premiere date for The Dealer.
But with production already underway and the same creative team behind Squid Game involved, expectations are already sky-high.
If Netflix is looking for its next global obsession, The Dealer might be it.
