456 real-life people have been battling it out to be crowned the winner of Squid Game: The Challenge.
Competitors had flown in from as far as the United States and Australia for the show, with only one contestant able to take home the huge £3.63million cash prize.
In a trailer released on Friday ahead of next week’s finale, the three remaining hopefuls, numbers 016, 287, and 451, will take on the last challenge.
The clip opens as one contestant says: ‘We’ve come so far to get here and now… this is it.’
Someone else explains: ‘It’s like a pack of wolves trying to get the last piece of meat
‘Money changes people sometimes’, another adds.
A total of 456 players, the same as in the original series, took part in the show, which was being filmed at Cardington Studios, a former RAF base near Bedford.
Hundreds were eliminated in the first round and then stayed in bunkbeds at the studios, just like in the Korean series.
In the original series, hundreds of cash-strapped contestants accept an invitation to compete in children’s games for a tempting prize, but the stakes are deadly.
Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s vice president of unscripted and documentary series, previously said of the reality programme: ‘Squid Game took the world by storm with [director Hwang Dong-hyuk’s] captivating story and iconic imagery.
‘We’re grateful for his 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 reality series will consist of ten episodes – one more than the original thriller.
A total of 456 players, the same as in the original series, took part in the show, which was being filmed at Cardington Studios, a former RAF base near Bedford
Hundreds were eliminated in the first round and then stayed in bunkbeds at the studios, just like in the Korean series
The TV production company behind the show Studio Lambert has previously been accused of allowing ‘inhumane’ working conditions and faced allegations of mistreating staff on previous reality shows.
Some of those working on the popular Gogglebox series described a toxic culture where staff worked excessive hours and were expected to go without breaks.
The trade union BECTU, which represents film production workers, received complaints from staff about the way they were being treated.
One member of staff told the union: ‘People have had enough. You don’t turn up to be screamed at for 12 hours a day.’
Bectu said they urgently requested a meeting with the company who are behind many contestant led shows, including ‘BBC show ‘Traitors and ‘Race across the world.’
Squid Game became Netflix’s most-watched programme in 2021, drawing in 142 million people in its first month – nearly double the previous record held by Bridgerton.
The Korean drama is also being praised with adding 4.4 million new subscribers, increasing Netflix global subscriptions to 213.5 million from 209 million.
It boosted the company’s profits to £1.1billion – nearly double the amount it took in during the third quarter of 2020.
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