"It doesn't really set a great precedent”: Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk expresses concern over reality show spin-off

Emmy Awards 2022 winner Hwang Dong-hyuk recently shared concerns about his South Korean show, Squid Game, becoming a reality competition series.

The Netflix show became a massive success worldwide, leading to five Emmy nominations and two winners. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk and lead actor Lee Jung-jae won Emmys on Monday, September 12, 2022.

At the prestigious event, the director expressed his opinion on Netflix's reality show spin-off, Squid Game: The Challenge. In an interview backstage with TVLine, Dong-hyuk said:

“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 Dong-hyuk's take on Squid Game: The Challenge

Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk told TVLine that the creators of the spin-off met him earlier and had multiple questions about his series. He further expressed his worries related to the reality show. He stated:

“What I hope is that they will be carrying on my vision and intention as much as possible for the show.”

Dong-hyuk mentioned that his award-winning series carried a "heavy message" about the dark side of capitalism. He then admitted that he realizes people's "concerns on taking that message and creating it into a reality show with a cash prize."

In the interview, Dong-hyuk stated that he would want the show's fans not to take the format seriously. He appealed that the spin-off should only be considered a fictional game show.

The director ended his opinion by saying:

“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.”

The original Netflix show, Squid Game, aired nine episodes on the streamer on September 17, 2021. The official synopsis read:

"Hundreds of cash-strapped contestants accept an invitation to compete in children's games for a tempting prize, but the stakes are deadly.”

The series featured Lee Jung-jae, HoYeon Jung, Park Hae-soo, Gong Yoo, O Yeong-su, and Anupam Tripathi.

---

What is Squid Game: The Challenge all about?

In June, Netflix released a teaser of Squid Game: The Challenge, which mentioned that 456 players would participate to win a $4.56 million cash prize.

The clip introduced the game show as:

“The biggest Netflix show ever becomes the biggest reality series ever.”

Fans can apply to participate in the game by visiting squidgamecasting.com. The only primary requirement is that the contestant should be an English-language speaker. Given the original series' plotline, the spin-off's criteria clarified that the game's worst fate was leaving the show empty-handed.

Speaking about the reality competition series to Decider, Netflix's VP of unscripted and documentary series Brandon Riegg said:

“We’re grateful for his [Dong-hyuk] support as we turn the fictional world into reality in this massive competition and social experiment. Fans of the drama series are in for a fascinating and unpredictable journey as our 456 real world contestants navigate the biggest competition series ever, full of tension and twists, with the biggest-ever cash prize at the end.”

The creators have not yet announced the game show's release date or any further details.

Meanwhile, Squid Game's original team is celebrating their Emmy wins. Apart from the categories of director and lead actor, the series was also nominated for the Outstanding drama series category.