Following the success of "Squid Game: The Challenge," Netflix has another dystopian-sounding game show in the works. It's called "Million Dollar Secret," a reality TV show that sees 11 players hunting down the one contestant saddled with a $1 million prize. It's battle royale rules, so the last contestant with the jackpot when the clock runs out gets to keep it.
Hosting the eight-episode series is none other than "Shaun of the Dead" and "Guardians of the Galaxy" star Peter Serafinowicz. The million-dollar prize is awarded to one of 12 players right at the start of the first episode. Once the prize holder is found and eliminated by another contestant, the money goes to them, Netflix explained in a press release this week. Here's where things get tricky: Players who find the prize early on put a target on their back for the other contestants, but if they wait too long to strike, they could miss out on the bag altogether. In a recent interview with Variety, Netflix called the competition “a game of strategy and alliances, where predators can become prey in the blink of an eye.”
Netflix really is getting into "Hunger Games" territory with this one. "Million Dollar Secret's" predator vs. prey set-up seems geared toward the same audience that made the similarly unsettling-in-tone "Squid Game: The Challenge" such a hit last December. The show, a reality TV spin-off of the dystopian fictional competition featured in "Squid Game" (minus all the, you know, gruesome murder and whatnot), garnered over 33 million views and became the 15th-most watched TV show on Netflix in the second half of 2023.
There's no word yet on the cast or release date of “Million Dollar Secret." Netflix says the series will consist of eight 45-minute episodes produced by Wheelhouse U.K. and Spoke Studios, the crew behind “Love & WWE” and “Buying Beverly Hills”. Charles Wachter will serve as a showrunner and executive producer alongside Glenn Hugill, Will Nothacker, Russ Friedman, Joe Coleman and Pam Healey.
Netflix has been on a streak of new announcements lately, also revealing this week plans for a new show and movie based in the “Minecraft" universe. In the meantime, whether you're waiting for more updates on "Million Dollar Secret" or season 2 of "Squid Game," be sure to check out our round-up of everything new on Netflix in June.
