Netflix announces Squid Game reality series with $4.5m cash prize

Netflix is expanding its ‘Squid Game’ franchise with reality series featuring 400 participants

Netflix is expanding the Squid Game franchise to include a reality TV series after the dystopian drama took the world by storm last year.

Following its worldwide success, the streaming company announced Sunday (12 June) that Hwang Dong-hyuk’s show would be returning for a second season.

The first season of Squid Game followed a group of cash-strapped individuals competing in several twisted versions of children’s games for a chance to be the last person standing and win a life-changing cash prize.

The series currently holds the record for Netflix’s most popular title ever, with over 1.65bn views in the first 28 days after its release in September 2021.

Now, Netflix has revealed it is gearing up to launch Squid Game: The Challenge in which 456 participants will compete in a series of games inspired by the show for a chance to win a $4.56m cash prize – the largest lumpsum jackpot in the history of reality TV.

Losing a round, however, will not have fatal consequences, the series’ maker said in its announcement. Instead, the worst fate that awaits a participant is simply returning home empty handed.

In its statement, Netflix vice president of unscripted and documentary series Brandon Reigg said the reality series will draw on Dong-hyuk’s “captivating story and iconic imagery”, adding that the company was grateful for his support in developing Squid Game: The Challenge.

In addition to captivating global audiences after its release, and sweeping the awards season, Squid Game spawned many real-life iterations around the world, including in school playgrounds – prompting safety concerns from parents and authorities.

Last year in November, YouTube star MrBeast created a real-life Squid Game by inviting 456 random players to compete in a tournament with a $456,000 cash prize for the winner.

In October last year, the Korean Cultural Centre in the UAE organised a reenactment of the games seen in the series for two teams of 15 participants.

Netflix is currently casting for its Squid Game reality TV series, inviting applications from around the world. In its first round, the show will feature English-language speakers and be filmed in the UK.

You can find out more here.