Is Netflix's Squid Game based on a true story?

Netflix's Squid Game has made headlines in all corners of the internet owing to its intense and dark story-telling. With a rich story, it has brought a speck of curiosity to many of its watchers' minds on whether it's a true story or not.

So far, there hasn't been any news reporting on a big competition-to-the-death style tournament, so it's safe to say it's not adapted from reality.

That being said, the director has spoken in-depth about where he picked the idea up from, which provides important insight into the vision and message of Squid Game.

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Where did the story of Squid Game come from?

Squid Game is one of the hottest new shows on Netflix right now. The show tells the tale of several down-trodden people who are desperate to make some cash. Through their desperation, they take part in a brutal and deadly competition in hopes of winning the grand prize of $38.7 million.

The show's competition is very similar to a battle royale game, where hundreds of people are put into an arena, only one coming out as the winner. The concept itself has been done many times before, but its story-telling and execution make Squid Game stand out.

Many accused Hwang Dong-hyuk, the director of Squid Game, of copying other movies and TV shows with similar concepts. Dong-hyuk refuted the claims, saying a lot of his inspiration came from Japanese manga and anime that he has consumed throughout his life.

Dong-hyuk used to be in a financially challenging situation himself. During those times, he read many comics that were of a similar topic. Incorporating what he learned through those and his own real-life experiences was how he came up with Squid Game.

During the official press release for the show, many were able to gain insight into the making of the intense thriller.

The production team and Hwang Dong-hyuk explained some of the thought processes and details that went into making the sets. You can find more information on the topic here.