Following the immense global success of the original show, Netflix has announced the sequel to Squid Game which is named Squid Game: The Challenge.
Netflix's Vice President, Brandon Riegg, expressed gratitude for the tremendous success of "Squid Game". He acknowledged Director Hwang's captivating storytelling as they brought the fictional world of Squid Game to life in a massive social experiment.
The success of this series has led to the announcement of the new reality show Squid Game: The Challenge. So without further ado, let's dive into this show and uncover everything we know about it.
What is Squid Game: The Challenge?
"Squid Game: The Challenge" is a reality spin-off series that builds upon the immense success of the original show. In the original series, a group of desperate individuals participated in a risky opportunity, hoping to win a substantial cash prize.
However, they soon discovered their lives were at stake as they were compelled to play deadly versions of familiar childhood games. It revolved around 456 individuals who engaged in deadly games, battling each other to death in pursuit of a cash prize.
Now, Netflix has transformed this concept into a reality competition, where contestants will engage in games inspired by the popular dystopian series.
The show quickly became Netflix's most popular series. It attracted over 111 million users who actively streamed the show. It had more than 1.65 billion view hours within the first 28 days of its release.
What is the release date of Squid Game: The Challenge?
Although a specific release date has not been officially disclosed, Squid Game: The Challenge will debut on Netflix in November 22, 2023, as confirmed during the Tudum 2023 event at Brazil.
The original Squid Game took ten years to materialize. Comparatively, the production of this game show has been notably swift, as Netflix gave it the green light in June last year. So the fans won’t have to wait long.
Like in the drama series, 456 contestants will participate in the reality show, competing for an enormous cash prize of $4.56 million. The 10-episode series will feature a cast of contestants vying for the grand prize.
What is the premise Of Squid Game: The Challenge?
According to a Netflix press release, the premise of this competition is:
"With both the largest cast and lump sum cash prize in reality TV history, 456 real players will enter the game in pursuit of a life-changing reward of $4.56 million . As they compete through a series of games inspired by the original show - plus surprising new additions - their strategies, alliances, and character will be put to the test while competitors are eliminated around them. The stakes are high, but in this game, the worst fate is going home empty-handed."
Squid Game: The Challenge is an unscripted game show produced by Studio Lambert and The Garden. The competition features 456 contestants who engage in Korean-inspired childhood games, similar to the original Squid Game series. The reality version of Squid Game does not involve life-or-death consequences, but the stakes are still high.
The contestants compete for a record-breaking cash prize of $4.56 million, making it the largest in reality television history. The reality show will test players' strategies, alliances, and characters in surviving the intense competition. As the competition progresses, contestants will face elimination until a winner emerges.
Netflix's reality show, inspired by the famous thriller series Squid Game, will adopt a similar format but with different consequences. The worst outcome for contestants is leaving the game empty-handed.
Netflix aims to maintain a faithful adaptation of the Korean series by including participants. They will strive to survive until the end to win the largest cash prize ever. The show will have ten episodes, one more than the original show's first season.
Is there a trailer for Squid Game: The Challenge?
Netflix unveiled the first teaser trailer for Squid Game: The Challenge, which showcases expansive sets, Squid Game guards donning pink costumes, and contestants' living quarters as bunk beds.
In a teaser trailer released on June 18, one of the challenges shown involves contestants trying to approach the creepy giant doll, Mugunghwa. We can see them wearing movie-style blood packs that explode if they fail to complete the "Red light... Green light" task.
The contestants don outfits resembling the green and white tracksuits with numbers worn by the characters in the original series. The guards maintain their red suits and black masks and do not speak, replicating their appearance in the drama. It also showcases sets reminiscent of the first season. With the set reveal and the announcement of the game show, Netflix has generated excitement and anticipation among global fans.
In September 2023, another teaser trailer was released for Squid Game: The Challenge:
Who are the contestants Squid Game: The Challenge?
Netflix has announced the cast for Squid Game: The Challenge, which features returning characters from season 1 of the show, as well as new additions to the cast. Here is the list of contestants in Squid Game: The Challenge as of the time of writing this article:
Lee Jung-jae
Lee Byung-Hun
Wi Ha-jun
Gong Yoo
Yim Si-wan
Kang Ha-neul
Park Sung-hoon
Yang Dong-geun
Netflix has not disclosed the identities of all the 456 contestants selected for Squid Game: The Challenge. However, the streaming service conducted open casting calls worldwide for the first season.
Where was Squid Games: The Challenge filmed?
According to a Netflix article, all 10 episodes of Squid Games: The Challenge were filmed in the United Kingdom.
What is the controversy around Squid Game: The Challenge?
Yes, Squid Game: The Challenge faced controversy one year after its announcement. The unscripted game show features a replica of the original show's deadly games but without extreme violence and death for losing contestants.
The 456 players compete in various challenges based on Korean children's games seen in the original Squid Game and some new concepts. Squid Game: The Challenge has been described as a "massive competition and social experiment" by Brandon Riegg.
However, in February 2023, contestants from the game show spoke out about the "inhumane" conditions they experienced during filming. Several participants shared their experiences, citing medical attention required due to filming in cold weather conditions in Britain.
Variety reports stated that anonymous contestants complained about harsh conditions, including freezing temperatures and extended shooting time. This led to some participants fainting during challenges.
There were also claims that the show was rigged in favor of social media influencers. Studio Lambert, the show's producer, denied these allegations. He stated that they prioritize the health of the cast and crew, implementing safety measures and providing aftercare for contestants. An independent adjudicator oversees each game to ensure fairness.
Squid Game: The Challenge is a new idea that Netflix took on in the hopes that it will become popular among viewers, just like the original show. Whether or not Netflix finds success in this game show, we’ll have to wait and see when it comes out in November. Additionally, Netflix is currently accepting applications online for "potential future seasons" of the show.
