Squid Game, a Netflix series about people risking their lives and sometimes killing one another on television to pay off their crippling debts, is being turned into an actual game show. It was recently announced that the famed series was renewed for a second season.
The Battle Royale-inspired franchise will be expanded with a real-world game show based on the fictional competition at the centre of the original series. Squid Game: The Challenge (not to be confused with MTV’s The Challenge) will pit 456 players from all over the world in a battle for a $4.56 million prize that can only be won by one person.
Though Netflix has released a promotional video featuring scenes from the fictional Squid Game, it has yet to reveal what obstacles contestants will face in Squid Game: The Challenge. You can check out the promo video below:
Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s vice president of unscripted and documentary series, praised Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk in a public statement about the new game show, citing the series’ worldwide success as one of the reasons for Netflix’s decision to turn it into a public show.
“We’re grateful for his support as we turn the fictional world into reality in this massive competition and social experiment,” said Riegg. “Fans of the drama series are in for a fascinating and unpredictable journey as our 456 real-world contestants navigate the biggest competition series ever, full of tension and twists, with the biggest ever cash prize at the end.”
Whether or not anyone ever admits it, we think (read: KNOW) that MrBeast’s YouTube video from last November, which has over 258 million views and counting, CLEARLY inspired the idea for a real-life version of Squid Game.
It makes sense that Netflix would want to capitalise on that success, with an opportunity to potentially get more subscribers on the platform. The prize for the Netflix version is significantly higher, at $4.56 million, compared to MrBeast’s $456K.
Even though Squid Game is a Korean series, Netflix is looking for English speakers from all over the world for the new show, according to the official recruitment website.
If you’re interested in taking your chance at it, applications are now open for Squid Game: The Challenge. Good luck gamers!
