Squid Game was the hottest show on Netflix in the second half of last year. It had everyone talking, not just about its plot, but its inaccurate subtitles as well, but that’s a story for another time. And, in a development that’s both surprising and not at the same time, the streaming company is making a real life reality show version.
Dubbed Squid Game: The Challenge, Netflix claims that this is the reality TV show with both the largest cast, as well as the largest sump cash prize. To make that happen, the company is looking for 456 players to join, and fight for a prize of US$4.56 million (~RM20.15 million). The games that participants will play will be inspired by the original show, with a few surprising new additions, as the company claims.
While the cash prize is enticing, it’s very likely not legal to execute participants that fail challenges the way the Squid Game series did. So for participants of this reality TV version, Netflix says that while the stakes are high, “the worst fate is going home empty-handed”.
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You can now sign up to be one of the 456 players in Squid Game: The Challenge by following the recruitment page linked below. Netflix says that, for this round, the Front Man is looking for English speakers from any part of the world. Probably for logistical reasons, the US and UK market get their own signup category, while the rest of the world gets a Global Casting button. Looking into the form, it indicates that the reality TV show may take up to four weeks, sometime in early 2023.
In related news, Netflix is also working on a second season for the Squid Game series. The director for the first show, Hwang Dong-hyuk, is confirmed to be returning to direct the second season. Not surprising considering the show’s popularity. Also unsurprising are the cybercriminals tempting fans to jump on the bandwagon and part with their hard earned cash, naturally with the promise of massive returns.
(Source: Netflix [1], [2] via BBC)
