‘Squid Game’: Korean Series Could Become Netflix’s Biggest Hit Of All Time

South Korea’s thriller series “Squid Game” is set to become Netflix’s most-watched program of all time as long as it maintains its grip on the No. 1 spot on the streaming platform.

The show premiered on Sept. 17 and entered the U.S. Top 10 list on Sept. 19 at No. 8. It hit No. 2 position on Sept. 20 and reached the No. 1 spot by Sept. 21.

“Squid Game” is the first Korean original series to ever hit No. 1 on top-ranking shows on Netflix in the U.S., as per Deadline.

“'Squid Game' will definitely be our biggest non-English-language show in the world, for sure,” Netflix’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos told Deadline Monday. “It’s only been out for nine days, and it’s a very good chance it’s going to be our biggest show ever.”

The hit drama now ranks among other Netflix global hits such as “Ginny and Georgia,” “Who Killed Sara?,” “Bridgerton,” and “Shadow and Bone.” Since its release, the hit violent drama quickly reached No. 1 in 90 countries including Qatar, Oman, Ecuador and Bolivia.

But “Squid Game” may even surpass the 82-million households record held by “Bridgerton” as Netflix sees a continued upward trend in subscribers, Deadline said.

Packed with spine-chilling moments, the nine-episode gory drama tells the story of financially challenged individuals who accept a strange invitation to compete in lethal games in exchange for a $40 million cash prize. The players are recruited by a mysterious man with a briefcase (played by Gong Yoo) who hands out business cards to willing players. The recruits call the number on the card and are picked up by a van in a designated area. Upon regaining consciousness, the players are immediately ushered into the lethal games by masked guards in red uniforms. Eliminated players in the squid games are killed by the guards.

The success of “Squid Game” in the U.S. is unprecedented and may even be considered surprising, Screenrant noted.

First, the show lacks a recognizable star for a U.S.-based audience and in addition to this, there was no aggressive marketing push as compared to Netflix’s more established shows such as “Stranger Things” and “The Witcher.”

The buzz on the show was done almost entirely through word-of-mouth recommendations of viewers who were captivated by the series, as per Screenrant.