Netflix plans Squid Game reality show with US$4.5 million prize, no fatal consequences
Unlike in the fictional series, the worst fate for losers is not death, but missing out on what Netflix claims is the largest lump sum prize in reality TV history
The 10-episode Squid Game: The Challenge' will include games inspired by the original show, as well as new additions.
Netflix Inc's most-watched series is no longer just a fictional television show after the streaming service greenlit "its biggest reality competition ever" called Squid Game: The Challenge.
Unlike the series where the stakes are life or death, the worst possible fate in this 456 player competition will be leaving without the US$4.56 million winnings, which Netflix claims is the largest lump sum prize in reality television history.
"The stakes are high, but in this game the worst fate is going home empty-handed," Netflix's Vice-President of Unscripted and Documentary Series, Brandon Riegg, said in a statement.
Squid Game became Netflix's most-watched series when it was released in September 2021 as it told the story of cash-strapped contestants who play childhood games for a chance to win life-changing sums of money.
Netflix's reality show will be filmed in the UK and is currently only casting English speakers. The announcement comes just days after the scripted series was renewed for a second season.
The company is betting the franchise will help it recover from a drop in subscribers in the first quarter, the first time it shed viewers since 2011.
The one bright spot for the company was Asia, where it added more than 1 million customers.
Also on Monday Netflix confirmed that the global sensation "Squid Game" will return for a second season.
"A whole new round is coming," director, writer and executive producer Hwang Dong-hyuk said in a letter to fans released by Netflix. "And now, Gi-hun returns. The Front Man returns. Season 2 is coming."
Gi-hun, played by Lee Jung-jae, is the debt-ridden character who gets involved in a mysterious deadly contest to win 45.6 billion won ($37.9 million) in prize money in the nine-part series.
Hwang added that Cheol-su, the "boyfriend" of the show's animatronic doll, Young-hee, will be introduced to viewers in the next season.
But he did not elaborate on the detailed schedules of production.
Released in September last year, the all-Korean survival drama "Squid Game" became Netflix's most successful series in the streamer's history, attracting 1.65 billion hours of viewing in the first four weeks of release.
The director, who has usually made feature films, including the historical drama "The Fortress," throughout his career, thanked global fans for giving unprecedented support to his first TV show.
"It took 12 years to bring the first season of 'Squid Game' to life last year," Hwang said. "But it took 12 days for Squid Game to become the most popular series ever."
"Squid Game" is now poised to become the first Korean-language series to win an award at the Emmys slated for September.
It has racked up many pre-Emmy wins, including the best actor and actress prizes at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
