Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has spoken about Netflix’s pending reality show spin-off of his series, and he’s worried about what it entails.
Earlier this year, Netflix revealed their plans for Squid Game: The Challenge, which will see competitors take part in a series of challenges in order to win a cash prize. The 10-episode reality competition will have 456 players battling to win a “life-changing reward of $4.56m”, but Hwang is worried it will betray his creative vision.
Speaking backstage at the Emmys, Hwang explained he met the creators of the reality show, and he’s hopeful “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.
Hwang continued: “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.”
Meanwhile, on Monday evening, Squid Game became the first non-English speaking TV series to win a major Primetime Emmy Award. In total, the show came away with five victories, including Hwang Dong-hyuk winning for ‘Best Directing In A Drama Series’ along with Lee Jung-jae’s historic win for ‘Outstanding Lead Actor’.
