Squid Game creator talks controversial Netflix reality show

There is no denying that Squid Game is an international success and with that in mind, of course there are going to be offshoots. We can’t say we’re shocked that Netflix has decided to produce a reality TV version titled Squid Game: The Challenge, even if it’s easy to have some harsh opinions about it.

Take, for starters, the notion that this could work against the original show’s message, which was about the exploitation of those suffering from extreme debt for the wealthy’s own entertainment. It was a dark and tragic story for most of its run, so staging a reality show runs in opposition to a lot of that tonally. It’s obviously not going to be as dark as the scripted show; after all, you can’t murder the contestants! So is it going to dilute the brand of the original? You have to wonder. (We should note that there have already been Squid Game creations out there prior to Netflix’s upcoming off-shoot; YouTuber Mr. Beast received a lot of views, and generated some backlash, for his own version.)

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It’s no surprise that at the Emmys last night, Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk was asked about the new show, and he gave what was a pretty thoughtful response (per TVLine):

“What I hope is that they will be carrying on my vision and intention as much as possible for the show … 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, and I hope that this is going to be a great new direction for the industry overall.”

Ultimately, it feels best to separate the story of Hwang’s Squid Game from whatever the reality show does. His story will still have its own vision, so focus more on that if you’re not too fond of the reality TV idea.

Related – When could Squid Game season 2 premiere?

What do you think about the idea of a Squid Game reality show?

Are you vehemently against it? Be sure to share right now in the attached comments! Once you do just that, be sure to come back for some other updates. (Photo: Netflix.)

This article was written by Jessica BunBun. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.