Squid Game's robot doll is back to haunt your dreams in teaser for new reality competition show

Players will compete for $4.56 million, which is being touted as the "biggest cash prize in reality show history."

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Published on September 22, 2023 08:00AM EDT

Attention players — it's time to play Red Light, Green Light once more.

The new teaser for reality competition series Squid Game: The Challenge released Friday promises "the biggest competition" ever, creepy sets, eerie costumes, and yes, that freaky giant doll. It will all look very familiar to fans of the Netflix thriller upon which it's based, as it all looks practically plucked straight from the Squid Game set.

Like in the fictional show, Squid Game: The Challenge will feature 456 real players who will enter the competition in pursuit of a life-changing reward of $4.56 million (minus the violent deaths). As they compete through a series of games inspired by the original show — plus surprising new additions — their strategies, alliances, and character will be put to the test while competitors are eliminated around them. As one contestant puts it in the teaser, "4.56 million dollars? People do a whole lot worse for a whole lot less."

The reality competition series doesn't hit Netflix until Nov. 22, but it has already been the subject of some controversy. From the moment it was first announced, some fans questioned the necessity of the series, given the extremely violent nature of its predecessor, and the irony of the fact the original series explored how capitalism and greed can destroy lives.

Then, earlier this year, some contestants spoke out about conditions on the game show, telling Variety they were "absolutely inhumane." British tabloid The Sun also reported at the time that weather conditions on set that plunged below zero led to at least one contestant being "stretchered off" while others suffered frostbite. A source told the outlet that a game of Red Light, Green Light, filmed at a former air force base near Bedford in England, led to tears, though the nature of the injuries weren't specified.

"We care deeply about the health and safety of our cast and crew, and invested in all the appropriate safety procedures," Netflix and the producing team told EW in a joint statement at the time. "While it was very cold on set — and participants were prepared for that — any claims of serious injury are untrue."

Studio Lambert and The Garden produce Squid Game: The Challenge, with Nicola Brown, Tim Harcourt, John Hay, Toni Ireland, Anna Kidd, Stephen Lambert, Louise Peet, Nia Yemoh, and Stephen Yemoh serving as executive producers.

A second season of Squid Game was confirmed last year. Squid Game: The Challenge will start streaming on Netflix Nov. 22.

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Squid Game's robot doll is back to haunt your dreams in teaser for new reality competition show

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