Netflix has confirmed that Squid Game: The Challenge will premiere on the streaming service this year
Squid Game: The Challenge is a reality TV show based on the popular K-drama Squid Game, and will feature contestants competing for a cash prize of $4.56million (£3.65million) in a series of games inspired by the show – without the violent stakes.
This week, during Netflix’s first upfronts event in New York, the streaming service revealed that the upcoming reality TV competition will premiere this November.
Netflix gave the Squid Game: The Challenge spin-off the greenlight back in June 2022. “The stakes are high, but in this game, the worst fate is going home empty-handed,” the streaming service said in a statement at the time.
“Squid Game took the world by storm with Director Hwang’s captivating story and iconic imagery. We’re grateful for his support as we turn the fictional world into reality in this massive competition and social experiment,” added Brandon Riegg, Netflix VP of Unscripted and Documentary Series.
Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk had previously addressed concerns around Squid Game: The Challenge and how it goes against the message of the series – which, Hwang had described as a “fable about modern capitalist society”.
“I know that there are some concerns of taking that message and creating it into a reality show with a cash prize,” Dong-hyuk said. “I would say that reproductions of such efforts are going to bring new meaning to the [entertainment] industry, and I hope that this is going to be a great new direction for the industry overall.”
Meanwhile, in January, Netflix denied that the games on Squid Game: The Challenge are dangerous, following reports that at least one contestant had to be stretchered off set.
