‘Squid Game – The Challenge’ Trailer Revealed During Netflix Tudum Event

The “biggest reality competition ever” is coming to Netflix this fall. Later this year, 456 players will take part in a real-life version of Squid Game hoping to win a life-changing cash prize of $4.56 million, with Netflix releasing the first Squid Game – The Challenge teaser trailer during its Tudum virtual event Saturday.

The upcoming series is based on the 2021 South Korean drama Squid Game, which took the world by storm. It will see hundreds of contestants come together to take part in a series of games inspired by the original show, as well as some new ones. They will have to avoid elimination in order to win the $4.56 million cash prize, which is the largest cash prize for a reality series.

“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,” Brandon Riegg, VP of Unscripted and Documentary Series at Netflix, said when the show was first announced. “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.”

The ten-part series has faced some controversy. While the real-life version of the competition may not be as life-threatening as its fictional counterpart, in which contestants die when they fail a game, as filming began at Cardington Studios in Bedford, England, contestants described the scene as a “warzone,” reporting exhausting conditions and hypothermia. The Sun even reported that several contestants being carried out on stretchers. Amid the reports, Netflix faced an independent safety assessment, with Deadline reporting that Britain’s Health and Safety Executive “reminded producers to plan properly for risk on the re-creation of the blockbuster Korean drama.” However, the HSE ultimately decided that no further action was necessary.

Squid Game – The Challenge is produced by Studio Lambert. Stephen Lambert, Tim Harcourt, and Toni Ireland from Studio Lambert and John Hay, Nicola Hill, and Nicola Brown from The Garden serve as executive producers. The series is slated to premiere sometime in November, but Netflix has not yet set an exact date.