'Squid Game: The Challenge' Reality Series Hits Netflix With $4.56M Prize Pool!

A new “Squid Game” reality show is coming to Netflix that might just be “the biggest reality competition ever.”

Although Netflix wants to generate hype for the new series, they might have already caught the attention of many fans by advertising a chance to win a cut of a prize pool worth $4.56 MILLION dollars.

On Tuesday, Netflix dropped the news at the Banff World Media Festival, which was shared by The Hollywood Reporter.

Netflix hasn’t said whether or not the game has the same life or death stakes as the popular Netflix series, but it will feature 456 players competing for a chance to win $4.56 million dollars. Netflix says that it’s the biggest cash prize in TV history and also the largest competition series cast ever put together.

Brandon Riegg, Netflix VP of unscripted and documentary series, said, “Squid Game took the world by storm with [director Hwang Dong-hyuk’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.”

Riegg added, “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 reality show will consist of ten episodes, but exactly what challenges contestants will have to face are still under wraps.

If you think you have a chance of surviving Squid Game IRL, applications are now open at SquidGameCasting.com.

Netflix is looking for contestants around the world, but it says that all contestants must speak English. That’s bound to prove a bit controversial since the original series was almost entirely in Korean, but it’s been said that instructions for gameplay will be announced over a speaker, so every player needs to understand what is being said to know how to play. Netflix has said that other versions in other languages might be produced if this show takes off.

Although every game show has “protagonists” that seem to take center stage, it’s going to be difficult to make sure that every contestant gets a chance to shine with 456 people all competing against one another. In the series, star Lee Jung-jae plays a character named Gi-hun who competes in playground games, such as Red Light, Green Light, with deadly consequences. The losers of each round face violent deaths until all games are completed.

The announcement of the reality series comes shortly after Netflix renewed “Squid Game” for a second season. The South Korean drama is Netflix’s most popular series of all time and received more than 1.65 billion viewing hours in the first month of its release.

Over the weekend, Netflix confirmed that Netflix was getting a second season and shared a message from series creator Hwang Dong-Hyuk.

Hwang’s message says, “It took 12 years to bring the first season of Squid Game to life last year," Hwang's message begins. "But it took 12 days for Squid Game to become the most popular Netflix series ever.”

“As the writer, director, and producer of ‘Squid Game,’ a huge shout out to fans around the world,” he continued. “Thank you for watching and loving our show.”

“And now, Gi-hun returns. The Front Man returns. Season 2 is coming,” he warned. “The man in the suit with ddakji might be back. You’ll also be introduced to Young-hee’s boyfriend, Cheol-su.” Young-hee is the name of the killer doll witnessed in the first game of the competition.

Executive producer Kim Ji-yeon told Tudum that they’ve been facing “a lot of pressure” to make season 2 even better.

“We are working on the script right now and making the form of the story,” Kim explained. “I know that a lot of the different fans and audiences have enjoyed the series very much, but really we're focusing on how to make it even more joyful to the global audience.”

Last month, Hwang told Vanity Fair that the series could be released in 2023 or maybe even in 2024. He teased the second season, saying, “Humanity is going to be put to a test through those games once again.”