Netflix brings 'Squid Game' reality series with biggest cash prize in TV history
Jun 14, 2022
Washington [US], June 15 : Netflix has shown the green light to 'Squid Game: The Challenge,' a reality competition series based on 2021 hit South Korean drama 'Squid Game.'
As per Variety, the news came from Bela Bajaria, Netflix's head of global TV, at the Banff World Media Festival on Tuesday.
According to Netflix, the reality competition series 'Squid Game: The Challenge' will be "the biggest reality competition series ever," hosting the largest cast ever, and offering the largest lump sum cash prize in reality television history, where 456 players will compete for prize money of USD 4.56 million.
The contestants will go through a series of games inspired by the original show, as well as new add-ons, all of which test their strategies, alliances, and personalities as others are knocked out around them.
The reality competition series is currently recruiting people who are English-language speakers from around the world.
Brandon Riegg, Netflix's Vice President of unscripted and documentary series, said, "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."
"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," he added.
The 10-episode competition series is co-produced by Studio Lambert and The Garden, and will be filmed in the United Kingdom.
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.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, the announcement comes on the heels of Netflix officially renewing 'Squid Game' for a second season. The South Korean survival drama's debut season was released in September and holds the record as Netflix's most popular series of all time, racking up more than 1.65 billion view hours in its first 28 days.
