UNITED STATES: Netflix had confirmed that three people received medical attention when a Squid Game reality show was being filmed, but the company added that “claims of serious injuries are untrue” after one contestant asserted people were stretchered out.
Netflix’s Squid Game reality show
Squid Game: The Challenge will feature 456 contestants vying for a big cash award, exactly like in the popular South Korean drama. The reality show is currently being recorded at Cardington Studios, a former RAF site in Bedfordshire, United Kingdom.
An unnamed contestant who spoke to the media said that several participants had needed medical assistance because of the cold temperatures in the studio while taking part in the first game, “Red Light, Green Light.”
“People were willing to stay as long as they could because there was a lot of money at stake, even if hypothermia set in. They stood there for much too long because too many of them were resolved not to move,” the anonymous contestant said. “People came in believing they would become millions, but many left in tears,” the contestant added.
In the game Red Light, Green Light, players must run quickly when the light is green and remain motionless and silent when the light turns red.
“It was like a war zone,” the contestant said, adding that “We were unable to intervene as medics hauled individuals away. If you speak, you’re out. When you heard “medic,” the crew would hastily move forward. Between takes, we wound up standing there for thirty minutes. By the end, some were crawling. One or more were taken to the hospital on stretchers.”
After the claims surfaced, Netflix stated that three contestants were treated for “mild medical conditions.” “While it was very cold on set—and participants were prepared for that—any claims of serious injury are untrue,” they stated.
Medics were always present on the site, and the company had “invested in all the appropriate safety procedures,” a spokesperson told the media.
In the original show, 456 competitors faced off in lethal versions of kiddie games for a large monetary reward.
It was viewed by many as a critique of capitalism and the personal debt issue in South Korea. Nine months after its debut, Netflix announced that 456 contestants would compete for US$4.56 million (A$6.4 million, £3.7 billion) on a reality show version.
The reality show has been dubbed a “social experiment” by Brandon Riegg, vice president of documentary and unscripted series at Netflix.
Netflix’s most-watched show in 2021, Squid Game, was solely credited with adding 4.4 million new customers and inflating the company’s earnings to US$1.45 billion (A$2.04 million, £1.17 billion).
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