The highly-anticipated Squid Game: The Challenge has now been given a release date as Netflix shared more information about the series. The show will transform the South Korean thriller into the biggest reality competition ever, the streaming service says.
While the reality version of Squid Game won't have the same life and death consequences, there is still much on the line. Netflix says 456 players will compete to win $4.56million (£3.65million) - the largest cash prize in reality television history.
Netflix says the show will work via a series of games, where "each player will be pushed to their limits and forced to ask themselves just how far they'll go to win, with opportunistic alliances, cutthroat strategies and timely betrayals to follow."
Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has previously addressed concerns around The Challenge, with many saying it goes against the message of the series which, Hwang had described as a "fable about modern capitalist society."
He explained: "I know that there are some concerns of taking that message and creating it into a reality show with a cash prize. I would say that reproductions of such efforts are going to bring new meaning to the [entertainment] industry, and I hope that this is going to be a great new direction for the industry overall."
When Squid Game: The Challenge will be released?
According to Netflix, Squid Game: The Challenge will premiere on the streaming platform in November 2023. The 10-episode competition was filmed in the UK at Cardington Studios, a former RAF base in Bedfordshire.
On the upcoming release of The Challenge, Brandon Riegg, Netflix VP of Unscripted and Documentary Series, said he was grateful for Hwang's approval, saying: "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."
