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.
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Squid Game experience comes to life in Abu Dhabi
The first season holds the record as Netflix’s most popular series of all time, with over 1.65 billion hours viewed in its first 28 days, the company said.