Netflix has officially renewed their popular Korean series Hellbound for season 2. In recent years, Korean shows have become a huge draw for Netflix's global audience, even outside of South Korea. This more or less began with their surprise hit Squid Game, created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, which followed a group of people gathered to compete in a series of deadly children's games for a huge cash prize. That series became a word-of-mouth sensation across the world, inspiring many Halloween costumes the month after its release and quickly rising to become the most-watched show on the platform of all time, with a viewed total of 1.65 billion hours. Although no other Korean show has risen to that dazzling height, in the wake of Squid Game, series from the region like the spinoff Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area and the high school zombie series All of Us Are Dead have performed well, with the latter series landing on the Netflix chart as their ninth most-watched season of television.
Another Korean series that performed well in the wake of Squid Game was Hellbound, which launched on November 19, 2021, just two months after Squid Game. Taking place in the not-too-distant future, the series follows what happens after a being calling itself an angel suddenly appears and decrees, down to the minute, when certain people are going to be sent to Hell. Although the first and second set of three episodes focus on different characters in different circumstances, the show broadly follows the various factions that rise up in Korea to exploit the fears of the public.
Today at their TUDUM fan event for Korea, Netflix revealed that they have officially renewed Hellbound for season 2. Along with the announcement they shared a teaser that, in spite of only being 30 seconds long, manages to be incredibly ominous. It depicts a charred skeleton in a glass case beginning to writhe and transform into a full-blooded human being. Check out the teaser below:
What to Expect from Hellbound Season 2
While the teaser is visually striking, it doesn't yet reveal much about Hellbound season 2. Considering the fact that season 1 contained a huge time jump, it's entirely possible that the new season will pick up much later and focus on a whole new set of characters. However, it seems clear at least that the show will be live-action, which was in doubt after Hellbound creator Yeon Sang-ho implied that the show might continue on as a webtoon.
While Hellbound has enough twists and turns that it's impossible to predict exactly what will happen from one episode to the next, one other thing seems to be implied from this teaser. It may be the case that certain souls will begin returning from Hell. If that is the case, the information gleaned from these people will permanently alter the shape of Korea's society, with these people potentially becoming prophets of the new age.
Source: Netflix