Screenshot: Netflix / Kotaku
Keep in mind once we all thought the thought of turning Netflix’s Squid Recreation right into a real-world actuality present was a nasty thought? Seems we had been proper as a result of a bunch of contestants are searching for authorized motion towards the Netflix-produced actuality present for unsafe working circumstances, trauma, and collaborating in what they declare was a rigged competitors. The Squid Recreation actuality present simply wrapped up filming final Monday.
Initially reported by Rolling Stone, 4 former contestants of Netflix’s Squid Recreation: The Problem allege that the streamer and its co-production studios, Studio Lambert and The Backyard, subjected them to inhumane working circumstances. Squid Recreation: The Problem was initially introduced in June final yr following the success of the mega-popular Korean drama which obtained 1.65 billion hours considered inside its first 28 days on the streamer. In it, 456 gamers competed in recreations of the present’s fashionable video games like “Pink Mild, Inexperienced Mild” for the prospect to win $4.56 million.
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Learn Extra: Netflix’s Squid Recreation Is A Livid Prophetic Present That’s Taking The World By Storm
“All of the torment and trauma we skilled wasn’t because of the recreation or the rigor of the sport,” a former contestant advised Rolling Stone. “It was the incompetencies of scale — they bit off greater than they might chew.”
In line with earlier reporting from IndieWire, 10 contestants required medical consideration for accidents they suffered whereas filming the truth present, chief amongst them being pneumonia, a herniated disc, a torn knee tendon, and an ear an infection. In line with IndieWire, contestants had been requested to face nonetheless whereas taking part in “Pink Mild, Inexperienced Mild” at 26° Fahrenheit (-3° Celsius) climate in 30-minute increments throughout a nine-hour filming session.
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On the time, a consultant from Netflix advised IndieWire that it “invested in all the suitable security procedures” to make sure the well being and security of its forged and crew members had been maintained.
“Whereas it was very chilly on set—and individuals had been ready for that—any claims of significant damage are unfaithful,” the Netflix consultant advised IndieWire.
One other grievance alleges that Squid Recreation: The Problem was rigged. In line with Rolling Stone, quite a few contestants within the actuality present, a few of which had been Instagram and TikTok influencers, had been scripted to advance to the subsequent spherical of the competitors no matter whether or not or not they accomplished a recreation in order to artificially improve the intrigue for on-screen storylines.
“The humorous factor is, equality and equity was the primary theme of the unique Squid Recreation,” one former competitor advised Rolling Stone.
In an incident three former contestants name the “38-second bloodbath,” a bunch of contestants had their blood squib packs go off and had been concurrently eradicated from the truth present. In line with the contestants, the present’s producers eradicated them regardless of their having efficiently accomplished a recreation with time to spare whereas they had been reviewing the spherical’s drone-shot footage.
“As an alternative of Squid Recreation, [they] are calling it ‘Rigged Recreation.’ As an alternative of Netflix, they’re calling it ‘Web Repair,’ as a result of it was clearly apparent,” one other former participant advised Rolling Stone.
Kotaku reached out to Netflix for remark however didn’t obtain a reply by the point of publication.
Learn Extra: 12 Issues To Test Out After You’ve Binged Squid Recreation
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Whereas followers scratched their head at how making a real-life Squid Recreation ignored the present’s core theme about how determined individuals struggling beneath a capitalistic society for the amusement of the extra lucky is…dangerous, sequence director Hwang Dong-hyuk got here out in help of the present throughout a backstage interview on the 2022 Emmys.
“I believe that despite the fact that our present does carry fairly a heavy message—and I do know that there are some issues of taking that message and creating it right into a actuality present with a money prize. Nevertheless, I really feel like if you take issues too severely, that’s actually not the easiest way to go for the leisure business,” Dong-hyuk stated. “It doesn’t actually set a fantastic precedent.”.
The Netflix present’s launch spawned a bunch of copycats, most notably a knock-off online game and YouTuber MrBeast’s real-life model of the present’s dying video games (minus the grotesque deaths) the place 456 individuals compete towards one another to win $456,000.
A second season of Squid Recreation has been confirmed by Netflix however doesn’t have an official launch date.
