Netflix dropped the nihilistic drama The Squid Games in the midst of a global pandemic, and the Korean series resonated with public sentiment in a way that no one could have seen. Now, a real game show based on the series is on the way, despite it hitting its own controversies along the way.
Some contestants said they faced “inhumane” conditions, including freezing temperatures and a two-hour game that lasted up to nine hours. One contestant claimed he suffered a herniated disc and a torn knee tendon during production. Other contestants collapsed on set, likely due to the cold and fatigue from the eight hours of prep time before the game. Some contestants were so cold after the first day of filming that they had to seek medical attention.
A group of former contestants said they were considering filing a lawsuit against the co-production studios, Studio Lambert and The Garden, for workplace safety violations, negligence, and false pretenses. The production companies denied the claims, saying that the competition was not rigged and that the players were not seriously harmed.
But, the show still managed to get completed and is now ready to find out if the millions of people who watched the fictional version of the story are still going to be interested in seeing real people torture themselves for money… I think we already know that the answer is yes.