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Squid Game: The Challenge debut season came to the end of its run on December 6, 2023. In light of its widespread positive reception and popularity, Squid Game: The Challenge has been renewed for a second season. Though it's still early days about the details surrounding the Netflix show's latest installment, it could be said that developmental talks are underway and the casting process has already begun.
The first season of Squid Game: The Challenge saw Mai Whelan (Player 287) take home a whopping $4.56 million cash prize after successfully defeating Phill Cain (Player 451) in a nail-biting rock-paper-scissors game during the finale episode.
For the uninitiated, Squid Game: The Challenge is an unscripted reality television show based on the hugely popular original Korean drama series Squid Game. It draws upon the challenges of the K-drama show, beginning with the familiar 'Red Light, Green Light' and 'Dalgona' chapters. It brought together 456 real-life contestants under the umbrella of the challenge's brutal atmosphere.
A huge number of contestants were progressively wiped out in a staunch bid for survival. With each elimination, the players symbolically died as an ink pack on their costumes burst immediately as they were eliminated.
Squid Game: The Challenge season 2 is in the works
The makers of Squid Game: The Challenge have started developing the second season of the popular show. However, the production is in its infancy as of now, and executive producers Stephen Lambert and John Hay are in discussions, considering several options that might go into the show's making, including decisions about the cast and the nature of the challenges.
Since the nature of the challenge closely resembles that of the scripted K-Drama series, the producers are willing to liaise with the Korean team and decide upon their structure accordingly.
Speaking about the idea of recycling a few of their designs from the first season, which didn't make it to the final cut of the show, Stephen Lambert told Entertainment Weekly:
"We're saving (those ideas) for other shows, and now we've got a season 2, we should definitely not disclose them. It's one of those things that, as a producer, once you start thinking about it, it's quite difficult to stop thinking about it. It's a constant process of mulling over what's worked well and what we might be able to do to extend and amplify it."
On the other hand, John Hay thinks that following the widespread success of the first season, they must essentially take a break to absorb what worked out well for the show and what didn't. This will allow them to make informed decisions about the second season. He spoke to Entertainment Weekly:
"There's a whole set of things you learn by making it, and then there's a whole second set of things you learn by talking to and listening to the people who've watched it, and we're at very early stage of that."
Squid Game: The Challenge season 2 casting continues
Meanwhile, as talks are underway to finalize production details for the second season of Squid Game: The Challenge, Netflix has already kickstarted the casting process to rake in a fresh set of contestants.
Interested candidates from either the US, the UK, or anywhere else in the world can now submit their applications and introduction videos at www.squidgamecasting.com and take their chance at surviving the cut-throat competition of the games.
Apart from gathering new contestants, the makers of the show haven't yet entirely abandoned the idea of bringing in a few familiar faces from the past season. Only time will tell who makes it to the show and who doesn't.
