Netflix plans 'Squid Game' reality show with biggest cash prize in TV history

Streaming giant Netflix has greenlit "its biggest reality competition ever" called "Squid Game: The Challenge." The reality competition series based on 2021 hit South Korean drama 'Squid Game.' The 10-episode reality competition will include games inspired by the original show, as well as new additions, Netflix said.

"With both the largest cast and lump sum cash prize in reality TV history, 456 real players will enter the game in pursuit of a life-changing reward of $4.56 million. As they compete through a series of games inspired by the original show - plus surprising new additions - their strategies, alliances, and character will be put to the test while competitors are eliminated around them. The stakes are high, but in this game the worst fate is going home empty-handed," Netflix said in a statement.

Recruitment is open now at SquidGameCasting.com. Netflix’s reality show will be filmed in the UK and is currently only casting English speakers. The announcement comes just days after the scripted series was renewed for a second season.

“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,” said Brandon Riegg, Netflix VP of Unscripted and Documentary Series. “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 10-episode competition series is a co-production between Studio Lambert (The Circle) and The Garden (24 Hours in A&E), part of ITV Studios, and it will be filmed in the UK. Stephen Lambert, Tim Harcourt, and Toni Ireland from Studio Lambert and John Hay, Nicola Hill, and Nicola Brown from The Garden will serve as executive producers.

The program will mimic the scripted series, in which a group of people with debts to pay compete in versions of childhood games to win money as super-rich VIPs watch. The game will challenge players’ strategy, alliances and character, as contestants are eliminated around them.

The scripted drama Squid Game holds the record as Netflix’s most popular series of all time, with over 1.65 billion view hours in the first 28 days after its September 2021 premiere.