by The Netflix production team behind Squid Game: The Challenge has responded to claims that the show is dangerous after contestants called the show “inhumane.”
The series, which will be a “real life” version of the South Korean dystopian drama, is currently filming in the UK and recreates the deadly games in which contestants battle it out for $4.56 million (£3, 7 million).
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However, after the on-set treatment of contestants was “inhumane”, including competition in sub-zero temperatures, Netflix responded by denying the allegations.
“We care deeply about the health of our cast and crew, and the quality of this show. Any suggestion that the competition is rigged or claims of serious harm to players are simply false,” Studio Lambert, the show’s production team, published in a statement (via).
“We have taken all appropriate safety precautions, including aftercare for contestants, and an independent judge oversees each game to ensure it is fair to everyone.”
In the Netflix original series, 456 players fight for the sum of money that will change their lives by playing children’s games. But if they were eliminated, they were immediately killed in the process.
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Squid Game: The Challenge will see 456 real-life contestants from around the world go through similar games, just without the deadly consequence.
However, as filming continues, several players from around the world, who have remained anonymous, have come forward to complain about the conditions on set.
The recreation of the iconic Red Light game, Green Light, where players try to race across a finish line without getting caught by a strange doll that tells them when to go, or stop and freeze, has had particular claims made against it.
According to Variety, the contestants claim they were forced to stay frozen for up to 26 minutes at a time, instead of the agreed-upon maximum of two minutes, and filming for the game took seven hours.
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The seven-hour stretch occurred after an eight-hour preparation time before the game.
An anonymous name claims that doctors were called up to eight times as the contestants struggled with a combination of exhaustion from the long day and the freezing temperatures the UK was experiencing at the time.
Another source claims that they were not allowed to go to the bathroom or have a drink while the game was in session.
“This is not a Bear Grylls survival show,” said one. “If they had told us it was going to be that cold, no one would have done it.”
“It’s not like we signed up for Survivor or Naked and Afraid,” said another. “The conditions were absolutely inhumane and had nothing to do with the game.”
Squid Game: The Challenge is streaming on Netflix later this year.
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