One of the producers also addresses criticism against the new series following reports claiming that some contestants needed medical attention during the filming of the first game, 'Red Light, Green Light'.
- Nov 23, 2023
AceShowbiz - The team behind Netflix's "Squid Game: The Challenge" has responded to backlash over the reality show, which is adapted from South Korean thriller "Squid Game". Many slammed the reality series, which sees 456 contestants competing to win $4.56 million, as it goes against the original show's anti-capitalism message.
In response to the criticism, Tim Harcourt, an executive producer of the reality show "Squid Game: The Challenge", dismissed the idea that the major theme of the hit Korean drama was anti-capitalism. Speaking with TV Guide, Harcourt said, "For us the anti-capitalist allegory is only one very small part of 'Squid Game'. "
He continued, "I often say to people, 'Star Wars' is about swashbuckling rebels overtaking an empire, but people don't necessarily just focus on that as being about freedom or being about anti-imperialism. So for us, that was one element."
"It was about how people come together when they're required to beat the game," he went on explaining. "It was also about how we're ingrained from childhood to be competitive. These games are all childhood games, and they're super-sized and it brings out this childhood competitive spirit in everyone."
Harcourt also shared what set "Squid Game: The Challenge" apart from the original series. "Director Hwang's vision was about need - the players are all in desperate times," Harcourt said, referring to "Squid Game" director and creator Hwang Donghyuk. "For us, it was about opportunity. These are players who wanted to win that money because of the opportunity offered rather than need."
"Squid Game: The Challenge" executive producer John Hay also echoed the sentiment. "Director Hwang touched on something universal - this game that he designed is ingenious in itself," he noted. "And it's an amazing motor for looking at character under pressure, and that question of character under pressure sits at the heart of a lot of great unscripted as well as great scripted shows."
During the interview, Hay also addressed criticism against the new series following reports claiming that some contestants needed medical attention during the filming of the first game, "Red Light, Green Light". Of the matter, he said, "Before we even embarked upon anything, we tested everything and ran through all the proper controls. On that first game, it was quite a cold day, it was quite a long shoot."
"We had a whole team of independent adjudicators checking who moved. But everyone was prepared for that," Harcourt said. "And all appropriate measures were taken. So we're confident that we did the right thing by people."
Episodes 1 to 5 of "Squid Game: The Challenge" are available to stream on Netflix, while more episodes are set to premiere on November 29.
