UPDATE: 2023/01/25 08:26 EST BY JOSEPH BAXTER
Netflix Denies Injury Claims on Squid Game Reality Show
In response to British tabloid The Sun, which originally reported the alleged on-set injuries, co-producers Netflix and Studio Lambert issued joint a statement to The Hollywood Reporter denying the claims. “We care deeply about the health and safety of our cast and crew, and invested in all the appropriate safety procedures. While it was very cold on set — and participants were prepared for that — any claims of serious injury are untrue."
A number of contestants appearing in Netflix's Squid Game: The Challenge, a reality show based on the hyper-popular Korean drama, required medical assistance while filming.
Per Variety, medical staff were called in to help a group of players during what is described as a "sprawling" recreation of "Red Light, Green Light." Of those that were examined, one had injured their shoulder after accidentally colliding with a wall while four others incurred ailments due to the cold weather; none of the reported injuries were severe and the affected players are expected to make full recoveries. Netflix has yet to issue a statement on the matter.
Squid Game: The Challenge was announced after the source material became one of Netflix's most successful projects yet and aims to bring many of the games seen in the series to life in a less lethal manner. Just like the original show, 456 contestants will compete in a series of competitions inspired by Korean playground games. Participants who lose are knocked out of the tournament while the last remaining player will win the biggest grand prize in television history: $4.56 million.
The Controversy Around Squid Game: The Challenge
While many fans were excited to see Squid Game become a reality in a sense, others have openly criticized the concept of the show, noting that it purposefully misses the point of the series for the sake of expanding the franchise. Creator and director Hwang Dong-hyuk has reassured enthusiasts that the reality show does not alter the message of the source material and simply serves as a fun spinoff. "I think that even though our show does carry quite a heavy message, and I know there are some concerns of taking that message and creating it into a reality show with a cash prize, however I feel like whenever you take things too seriously, that's really not the best way to go for the entertainment industry," the filmmaker said.
Hwang further expanded on his defense of The Challenge, noting that his intention with Squid Game wasn't to criticize any particular economic system as a whole but to rather prompt people to think critically. "I’m not trying to say that capitalism is bad in and of itself — I just wanted to raise this question about what we can do to change our system to a fairer one," the creator said.
Squid Game is now streaming on Netflix. Squid Game: The Challenge does not yet have a release date.