Squid Game is about to become reality, but the show isn’t necessarily getting the greenlight from fans. The streamer announced Tuesday that it is turning the hit South Korean drama into “the biggest reality competition ever” with the upcoming reality competition series Squid Game: The Challenge, effectively turning Netflix into the VIPs at the top of the deadly competition of the original series.
The upcoming series, which does not yet have a premiere date, will take 456 contestants from around the globe as document them for the world’s entertainment as they compete for the record-setting $4.56 million cash prize. To score that massive prize money, contestants will compete in a series of games inspired by the original show, which put a deadly twist on classic childhood games like red light, green light, as well as new and unique additions. Brandon Riegg, VP of Unscripted and Documentary Series at Netflix, said in a statement Tuesday, “fans of the drama series are in for a fascinating and unpredictable journey as our 456 real world contestants navigate the biggest competition series ever, full of tension and twists, with the biggest ever cash prize at the end.”
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However, while Squid Game has certainly been a global hit, marking the biggest television premiere in Netflix history, the idea of turning the series into a reality competition is rubbing many the wrong way. Many on social media were quick to express their belief that Netflix completely missed the point of the show, which offers a unique look at societal greed and its dehumanizing effects. Others called for the streamer not to move forward with the show all together. Keep scrolling to see what social media had to say.
‘What could go wrong?’
“A massive international corporation offering 456 people the biggest prize in reality TV history if they’ll compete in games-based on ones in which losers die-with the footage used to entertain their subscribers. What could go wrong?” tweeted one person. “Also of concern: Netflix having absolutely no idea what its most-popular series ever is actually about, and just using it as exploitable IP that will cast only English speakers in a reality TV version of a South Korean show.”
Fans criticize Netflix for doing exactly what the series ‘was commentating on’
“So we take a show that’s supposed to be social commentary and do exactly what it was commentating on,” wrote another person. “Sure, sounds about right.”
Many believe NEtflix completely missed the point
“The whole point of Squid Games was how hypercapitalism is basically causing us to kill each other just to survive,” noted somebody else. “So of course execs thought hey let’s milk this concept to get more money.”
The streamer doesn’t ‘understand the point’ of ‘Squid Game’
“The fact that the takeaway from Squid Game– one of the most popular examples of anti-capitalist art recently- is to turn it into a reality show competition really shows us what we are up against,” added one social media user.
Netflix executive dubbed ”Squid Game’ VIPs’
“If you wanna play Squid Game so bad just play the Roblox version,” tweeted one. “Don’t encourage multi-billion dollar companies to facilitate the same bulls- that the creator was critiquing in the first place.”
‘Darkest timeline’
“squid games: capitalism and living conditions for the lower class (in south korea) is worse than hell and they would do ANYTHING just to be able to actually Live, and rich people watch them die for fun,” wrote somebody else. “netflix: hey rich white people, want more clout and money? Lol.”
‘Squid Game’ has been ‘completely misunderstood’
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen the moral stance of a show so completely misunderstood by the general public like Squid Game has been,” tweeted another person.
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'Squid Game.' Credit: Netflix
