After its first season last year, Netflix’s original series Squid Games became the platform’s most-watched show, clocking over 1.65 billion hours of viewing time in the first four weeks of airing, according to Variety. Now, the streaming giant has unveiled a new reality TV show: Squid Game: The Challenge, the company announced at the Banff World Media Festival.
Details released about the show by The Hollywood Reporter state that it will have “456 players competing in a series of games for the chance to win $4.56 million.” The payout will be the largest lump-sum cash prize in reality-show history. The show will also be able to boast the “largest competition series cast ever assembled.”
Netflix’s casting call states:
“Real-life players will be immersed in the iconic Squid Game universe and will never know what’s coming next. Here they’ll compete in a series of heart-stopping games … who will you betray in this ultimate test of character? *Please note: Win or lose, all players will leave unscathed. But if you win, you win big!”
To be qualified for a chance to enter as a contestant, eligible participants must be 21 years or older, reside within the U.S., be able to take off four weeks for participation in early 2023, and hold a valid passport. Anyone in the Dallas area looking to audition should visit the site for exact details on how to metaphorically throw their hat into the ring!
Still, some fans of the original show were not completely sold on the reality show’s development.
One teenager in Oregon, Mika Winder, told NBC News that “making a real-life version goes against the entire message of the original show in an almost comical way.”
People expressing concern over the message of the show is nothing new. When it aired in 2021, some companies hopped on its popularity and created their own Squid-Game-themed campaigns, prompting similar mentions of irony.
YouTubers and celebrities have chimed in on whether or not they think the show and its premise are all in good fun or if it is something that should be taken more seriously.
Nevertheless, many are interested in the opportunity to play Squid Game for real and test out their chops.
It is not yet known what challenges the reality show will consist of, but it has been revealed that it will follow the same 10-episode format the fictional series does.
Dallasites do not need to worry about flying to California to submit themselves for casting. Simply visit Netflix’s official link here, fill out the prompted information and upload a few photos to begin the process right from the comfort of your home.