The digital broadcasting company “Netflix” has decided to produce a realistic version of the South Korean drama “The Squid Game” in the form of a competitive program, which will begin filming in the United Kingdom early next year.
a program “Squid Game: The ChallengeIt will represent the largest reality competition series, with 456 contestants competing for a grand prize worth $4.56 million, the largest prize money ever offered by reality TV shows, according to the company statement.
“The squid game has captured the world’s attention with its suspenseful story and moving imagery, and we are grateful for director Hwang Dong-hyuk’s support as we transform the fictional world into reality through this massive competition and social experiment,” Netflix Vice President Brandon Rigg said in the statement.
The broadcast company says that participation in the reality show is open to competitors who speak English and over the age of 21, and they will compete for games inspired by the Korean series that attracted the highest viewership rates on the platform.
Netflix stated that the “Squid Game: Challenge” competition consists of 10 episodes, and its production is expected to continue over a period of 4 weeks.
She added that the competition would involve great risks, but unlike what happens in the drama series where death is the fate of those who fail to win, leaving the competition empty-handed is the worst that can happen to a competitor in a reality TV competition.
The Squid Game, released by Netflix last September, revolves around a competition in which 456 cash-strapped contestants risk their lives in a series of children’s games in order to win a prize money of $36 million, knowing that losing means death.
“The Squid Game” is the most successful Netflix series in its history, and the platform says that the Korean drama was watched by more than 142 million families during the first four weeks of its launch.
The announcement of the reality competition series comes after Netflix announced this month its intention to produce a second version of the Korean series, and after it announced last April the loss of 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2022 and its expectation to lose two million subscribers during the second half of this year.