Netflix
Netflix has released the first official trailer for its upcoming reality competition series Squid Game: The Challenge.
Based on the South Korean thriller that became a worldwide phenomenon back in 2021, Squid Game: The Challenge features 456 contestants competing for a cash prize of $4.56 million.
According to Netflix, that $4.56 million is the biggest prize pool in the history of competition reality TV.
While the reality show obviously won’t contain the violence that the series does, its existence is sort of skin-crawling nonetheless, as if Netflix missed the entire point of Squid Game in the first place.
The production of the show was certainly far from smooth, as reports from Variety revealed that “a number of contestants collapsed” on set and had to be treated by medics.
In response to reports of the well-being of contestants, Netflix released a statement saying they took “all the appropriate precautions” during filming.
“We care deeply about the health of our cast and crew, and the quality of this show. Any suggestion that the competition is rigged or claims of serious harm to players are simply untrue. We’ve taken all the appropriate safety precautions, including aftercare for contestants – and an independent adjudicator is overseeing each game to ensure it’s fair to everyone.”
Earlier this year, Netflix also released the incredibly brief first teaser for the second season of the fictionalized Squid Game series, confirming that season one stars Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-jun, Gong Yoo will be all be returning.
At this time, there is no official release date for season two of Squid Game. Since the cast is largely South Korean, though, they are not impacted by the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.