Netflix announced an upcoming “Squid Game”-inspired reality show, “Squid Game: The Challenge,” which will simulate the competition from the blockbuster South Korean series and feature the largest cash prize in TV history at $4.56 million. The show will feature 456 players as they compete for the prize in games similar to ones played in the original show.
“We’re grateful for (director Hwang Dong-hyuk’s) support as we turn the fictional world into reality in this massive competition and social experiment,” said Netflix’s VP of unscripted and documentary series to The Hollywood Reporter after the show was announced at Banff World Media Festival earlier this week.
Released in September of last year, “Squid Game” follows the story of Seong Gi-hun, a single father and gambling addict who joins the game for a chance to win the huge cash prize. He joins 455 other players dealing with financial strife to play a series of children’s games, where the price of losing is death.
The show was an immediate smash hit for Netflix, soon becoming its most streamed show of all time. It was also a critical success, and Netflix renewed it for a second season earlier this month.
The upcoming competition series will not be the first time someone has attempted to recreate Squid Game in the real world. A few months after the show’s release, massively popular Youtuber Mr. Beast, did a real world simulation of the competition, complete with a $456,000 cash prize. The video has since racked up over 250 million views.
Netflix is currently casting for the US competition, as well as for the UK and “Global” versions.
The announcement of the competition series has drawn some criticism on the internet, from people who feel that recreating the game with a multimillion dollar prize misses the show’s anticapitalist message. However, if Netflix’s previous reality competition series, like “The Circle” or “Too Hot to Handle,” are any indication, it’s likely this too will be a smash hit.
