‘Squid Game’ Reality Series Gets Green Light At Netflix

Peter White
·2 min read
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Squid Game is becoming reality.

The dystopian Korean drama series – Netflix’s biggest series ever – is being turned in to a reality competition series with 456 players competing (although presumably not being killed off).

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Netflix has ordered ten-part series Squid Game: The Challenge, which will see English-language speakers from around the world compete for a $4.56M cash prize – the largest cash prize for a reality series.

The contestants will compete in a series of games inspired by the show plus some new ones and their strategies, alliances, and character will be put to the test while competitors are eliminated around them. Casting is now underway.

It comes after the scripted series was officially renewed for a second season earlier this month.

Netflix’s Head of Global TV Bela Bajaria revealed the order at the Banff World Media Festival.

It will be produced by Studio Lambert, the All3Media-backed producer behind Netflix series such as The Circle, and The Garden, the ITV Studios-backed producer behind Channel 4 ob-doc series 24 Hours in A&E. It will be filmed in the UK.

Stephen Lambert, Tim Harcourt, and Toni Ireland from Studio Lambert and John Hay, Nicola Hill, and Nicola Brown from The Garden will serve as executive producers.

The scripted series, which launched in September 2021, follows 456 desperate contestants who compete with each other in a mysterious and deadly survival game involving multiple rounds of childhood games to win 45.6 billion won ($35M) in prize money that can pull them out of their misery. Every game is a traditional Korean children’s game such as Red Light, Green Light, but the consequence of losing is death.

“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,” said Brandon Riegg, VP of Unscripted and Documentary Series at Netflix. “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.”

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