Squid Game Creator Addresses Concerns About Reality-Show Spinoff Handling Such a ‘Heavy Message’
Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk knows that there are “concerns” about how the announced reality-competition offshoot will handle the “heavy” themes of the South Korean survival drama.
Greenlit in June at Netflix, Squid Game: The Challenge will recruit 456 players who will compete for $4.56 million. They’ll play games inspired by the original series as well as some new ones, with the goal of avoiding elimination. But have no fear, unlike the fictional drama, the reality show doesn’t intend to murder its losers. “The stakes are high, but in this game, the worst fate is going home empty-handed,” the official release assured us.
Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk, appearing backstage at the Emmys on Monday night after winning Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (for the episode “Red Light, Green Light”), revealed that this past weekend he had met with the creator of the reality-TV offshoot, “and they had many questions for me.
“What I hope is that they will be carrying on my vision and intention as much as possible for the show,” Hwang said.
Squid Game: The Challenge promptly was derided by many for aiming to make light of a dark drama that was embedded with important messages about class and the ugliness of capitalism.
But Hwang said in the Emmys press room, “I think that even though our show does carry quite a heavy message — and I know that there are some concerns on taking that message and creating it into a reality show with a cash prize — I feel like when you take things too seriously, that’s really not the best way to go for the entertainment industry. It doesn’t really set a great precedent.
“So, I would say that reproductions of such efforts are going to bring new meaning to the industry,” he added, “and I hope that this is going to be a great new direction for the industry overall.” (With reporting by Vlada Gelman)
I still think making this into an actual gameshow is tasteless.
Tasteless, but absolutely genius. Netflix would be a fool to not do this reality comp after the amount of interest millennials and Gen Z had in those comps.
Exactly, the viewing figures will be insane. I’m kinda surprised they haven’t announced an American version of the Squid Game drama yet though. I guess the creator is maybe holding firm?
Why do an American version when the Korean version was a hit in America?
I don’t understand. Why not kill them?
I’m genuinely wondering how they will condense a gameshow with 456 contestants into one hour episodes. There’s just too many people to really focus on any one contestant enough to make the audience connect. I guess they’ll give the audience their ‘heroes’ and ‘villains’ when the numbers are reduced.
This sounds vaguely like something out of the movie Network. When I first heard about it, I figured it had to be a parody. To do an actual show like this in 2022 in unbelievable.
Wonder if they will do the all bunk beds in one room. Someone might claim invasion of privacy. I know, I know it’s reality tv. So what privacy but interested to see how they they handle all the little things.
Can I be on the show but just be one of the VIPS drinking and making bets?
Well it can’t really be invasion of privacy if you signed up for it and knew about it beforehand. And don’t forget, everyone essentially sleeps together on Survivor in a shelter, so bunkbeds would be a major step up.
Big Brother?
I’ll tune in for the inevitable epic meltdown when someone is misgendered by another contestant.
what’s the point of the reality show? the whole point of the show is not something they can recreate via reality show without the deaths.
This guy gets it. Tells a serious story but doesn’t take himself or it too seriously. Hollywood could take note from him.