'Squid Game' Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk Tells Fans Not to Take Spinoff "Too Seriously"

Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has reassured fans about his show's spinoff, dubbed Squid Game: The Challenge, telling them they should not "take things too seriously."

Shortly after the 2022 Emmy Awards — where Hwang, the show and its cast took home historic wins such as Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for the "Red Light, Green Light" episode, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Lee Jung-jae and more — Hwang revealed that he had already met with the creator of The Challenge. “I think that even though our show does carry quite a heavy message — and I know that there are some concerns of taking that message and creating it into a reality show with a cash prize,” he said. “However, 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.”

He continued, “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 Challenge will see the competitions in Squid Game come to life with real competitors, sans the deaths. A "life-changing" cash prize of $4.56 million USD is up for grabs and Netflix is currently holding an open casting for its 456 competitors.

Elsewhere in entertainment, David Harbour has been cast in the Gran Turismo film adaptation.