Players Chosen for a Real-Life Version of 'Squid Game' The games will be hosted by the United Arab Emirates' Korean Cultural Centre.
By Amanda Breen
Since its release last month, Netflix's original series Squid Game has become one of the most-watched shows on the platform, and it currently holds the No. 1 spot in the U.S. today.
The gory survival drama, which stars South Korean talents Lee Jung-jae and Seong Gi-hun, follows a group of contestants, all of whom are in severe debt, as they play various children's games in an attempt to win a cash prize of 45.6 billion won (about $38 million) — and losing players face deadly consequences.
Now, a real-life version of the games will be hosted by the UAE Korean Cultural Centre in Abu Dhabi on October 12. At least 15 people have signed up to participate, and fortunately for those involved, murder won't be a penalty for lost rounds.
Related: 3 Marketing Lessons We Can Learn From Netflix's 'Squid Game'
While there won't be millions of dollars at stake either, players will be given tracksuits identical to those worn in the show to don during the competition.
The real-life childhood games will include red light green light, the Dalgona candy challenge (where contestants lick out a shape without breaking the brittle baking soda cookie), the marbles games (don't lose them) and the Ddakji game, where players toss paper shapes in a bid to topple one another's totem.
Many chalk the show's massive success up to its resolute examination of the inequality within South Korean society, particularly when it comes to debt and the endless struggle to pay it off.
Netflix is looking to further capitalize on Squid Game's enormous popularity; the streaming giant has teamed up with Walmart to create a digital storefront on the retailer's website that will sell merchandise inspired by the show.
Related: Woman Receives Thousands of Calls, Texts After Phone Number is Shown on 'Squid Game'
