Squid Game director explains meaning behind shock twist ending and cameo

1 July 2025, 11:05 | Updated: 2 July 2025, 17:01

Squid Game director explains the shock twist ending and major cameo. Picture: Netflix

By Sam Prance

How does Squid Game season 3 end? Here's what Hwang Dong-hyuk has said about the season finale.

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Squid Game director/creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has opened up about season 3's twist ending and what the cameo signifies.

Ever since Hwang Dong-hyuk confirmed that Squid Game would be ending with season 3, fans have been desperate to find out how the beloved Netflix drama ends. How many players make it out of season 3 alive? Is Jun-ho able to find his brother? Does Gi-hun manage to win the games a second time and put a stop to them for good?

Now Squid Game season 3 is officially out, we have answers. Not only that but there's a surprise A-list cameo in the finale. What does the ending mean though? Here's what Hwang Dong-hyuk has said about the final scene.

Read more: Does Player 120 die in Squid Game? Park Sung-hoon responds to Hyun-ju ending backlash
Read more: Will there be a Squid Game season 4? Here's why the show is ending with season 3

WARNING: Squid Game season 3 spoilers below

Squid Game spoiler warning. Picture: Netflix

Squid Game season 3 ends with Gi-hun sacrificing himself so that Jun-hee's baby (Player 222) wins the games. Then In-ho (the Front Man) blows up the entire games compound. He gives the baby to his brother Jun-ho with the baby's entire prize money. In-ho also goes to the US to tell Gi-hun's daughter that he died and give her a card with all of his money.

However, the show doesn't end there. After In-ho, drives away from Gi-hun's daughter, he stops by a street in the US and rolls his car window down. He sees a woman play ddakji with a desperate man in an alleyway. The camera then pans to the woman and we find out that it's Cate Blanchett who is seemingly an American recuriter.

The desperate man loses the game, Cate slaps him and then shares a look with In-ho. We hear the man ask Cate to play again and the game continues off screen.

Squid Game 3 cast reveal what they took from the set!

Why is Cate Blanchett in Squid Game?

Explaining the meaning behind the scene, Hwang Dong-hyuk told Tudum: "We thought having a woman as a recruiter would be more dramatic and intriguing. And as for why Cate Blanchett, she’s just the best, with unmatched charisma. Who doesn’t love her? So we were very happy to have her appear."

Hwang Dong-hyuk added: "We needed someone who could dominate the screen with just one or two words, which is exactly what she did. If Gong Yoo is the Korean Recruiter, I thought she would be the perfect fit as the American Recruiter, bringing a short but gripping and impactful ending to the story.”

As for actor Lee Byung-hun, who plays In-ho, he added: "I thought it was an incredible ending that no one could predict Despite all the noble efforts of so many people, the world still continues as it was before.”

Why is Cate Blanchett in Squid Game? Picture: Netflix

Will there be a Squid Game spin-off?

Fans will already know that an American spin-off of Squid Game is already in the works with Fight Club and Gone Girl director David Fincher signed on to adapt the English-language version of the show for Netflix. Whether or not, Cate Blanchett will star in the spin-off is yet to be seen.

Bookmark this page and we'll keep you posted with any updates.