Two unnamed players from Netflix’s “Squid Game: The Challenge” are threatening to sue the streaming giant and the game show’s producers over claims they experienced hypothermia and nerve damage while shooting the show, according to Deadline, which cited British personal injuries firm Express Solicitors.
Key Takeaways
- Express Solicitors said in a statement the contestants are seeking compensation for the alleged injuries suffered while filming in the U.K. early this year.
- The injuries were allegedly sustained while the contestants played the “Red Light, Green Light” game, which tasks players with crossing a field of play and having to suddenly stop their advances anytime an announcer says “red light.”
- Express Solicitors told Deadline the contestants were left with injuries “after spending time being stuck in painful stress positions in cold temperatures.”
- The lawsuit threat comes several months after Netflix acknowledged that three players required medical attention while filming at a former Royal Air Force base in Bedford.
- A spokesperson for the show confirmed to Deadline that no lawsuit has been filed by any of the contestants.
- Express Solicitors did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.
Big Number
$4.56 million. That’s the cash prize for the show, which currently has five out of 10 episodes out on Netflix and will be won by one of its 456 contestants.
Crucial Quote
“We have sent letters of claim on behalf of contestants injured in this show,” Daniel Slade, chief executive officer at Express Solicitors, said in a statement. “From what we’ve been told they pushed the boundaries of safety in the name of entertainment.”
Key Background
The show’s contestants called out the show this year in an interview with Variety, saying the shooting conditions were “absolutely inhumane and had nothing to do with the game.” Contestants weren’t paid to participate in the show and were reportedly told the shoot would take about two hours to complete, though some players participated for nearly seven hours.
The shoot also took place during a cold snap in the U.K., when temperatures dropped to 32 degrees fahrenheit and contestants collapsed, according to Variety, which reported cold and fatigue had hit players who dealt with eight hours of prep time before the game started. The game show is based on the South Korean dystopian drama, Squid Game, which raked in more than 1.5 billion of streaming hours from users and became one of Netflix’s most popular shows of all time.
This article was first published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
