Netflix's real-life Squid Game is so brutal people are collapsing

Who’s itching for another season of Squid Game? We know it’s on the way. The only problem is, we have no idea when it’s coming. I can’t even say this year, next year - we truly don’t know. One project that is being filmed though is Netflix’s Squid Game spin-off reality show.

That’s right, Netflix is turning Squid Game into a real-life game show where you compete just as the series’ contestants do. Yes, Squid Game is an allegory for greed. Yes, Netflix is missing the point by milking the franchise but hey, it’s entertainment. I’m sure they’re hoping people will overlook that fact. Featuring 465 players, the new reality show is set to give away the biggest cash prize in reality TV history, $4.56 million (£3.7 million).

Check out a teaser of Squid Game: The Challenge below.

Squid Game: The Challenge is set to feature 10 episodes and has recruited contestants from across the globe. Filming is already underway in the UK but apparently, players are collapsing due to brutal conditions. According to a report by The Sun, contestants recently competed in the infamous ‘Red Light, Green Light’ game but filming took place in freezing -3C temperatures.

One contestant compared the experience to a “warzone,” explaining that people were kicked out if they spoke. In ‘Red Light, Green Light,’ you cannot move when Red Light is announced but because temperatures were so cold, players found themselves seizing up as they stood perfectly still in the below-freezing conditions. The contestant added, “You could hear someone yell ‘medic’ and the crew would rush on. We ended up standing there for 30 minutes between takes. Some were crawling by the end. At least one was carried out on a stretcher.”

It’s thought that this was the first round and saw several hundred people eliminated. I do wonder if anyone will make it to the finale. I think we’re all agreed though that we hope the welfare of the contestants is prioritised.