Squid Game creator shares his concern about the reality show spin off

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Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has shared his views about the new reality series based on his 2021 hit show.

In June this year, Netflix announced plans to adapt Squid Game into a show titled Squid Game: The Challenge. The original dystopian drama series followed a group of people who take part in a series of deadly challenges based on childhood games in order to win a huge cash prize.

The 10-episode reality competition will include 456 players vying for a “life-changing reward of $4.56m”, Netflix said in a press release.

They will compete in games inspired by the drama series along with new challenges aimed at whittling down the field.

Speaking backstage at the Emmys on Monday (12 September), Hwang said he met with Squid Game: The Challenge’s creators and hoped “that they will be carrying on my vision and intention as much as possible”.

“I think that even though our show does carry quite a heavy message – and I know that there are some concerns of taking that message and creating it into a reality show with a cash prize,” he said.

“However, 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.

“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.”

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A release date for the new show has yet to be announced.

Earlier this week, Hwang became the first Asian director to win in the Outstanding Drama Series category and the first ever director to win an Emmy award for a non-English-language series this year.

The show’s lead star Lee Jung-jae also made history by becoming the first Korean actor to win an Emmy award for Best Actor in a Drama.