Your Lee Jung-jae action figure collection—so far presumably only containing Hasbro’s take on Jedi Master Solfrom The Acolyte—is about to get another shot of very grim, fight-to-the-death vibes. Behold Hot Toys’ new Squid Game figure, depicting Lee’s hollow-eyed Seong Gi-hun, also known as Player 456. He comes with a bunch of accessories from seasons one and two of the hit Netflix series but is lacking the key takeaway from season three: the newborn who falls under his care mid-competition.
However, you can easily rustle up your own baby component should you choose to add this figure to your toy shelf. Gi-hun does come with: a voting machine powered by USB so you can decide whether to quit or keep playing; a piggy bank; a mask with a square symbol; and “a six-legged pentathlon game set consisting of a pair of ankle cuffs, a pair of Ddakji, a pair of Biseokchigi, a set of Gonggi stones, a shuttlecock, and a spinning top.” You also get a special base that resembles stairs, so you can depict Player 456 trudging to his doom.
The biggest marvel of the Hot Toys figure is how Gi-hun’s expression radiates despair and trauma, no matter which pose you choose for him. It’s eerie but also accurate, especially as the character—who’s trying to do the right thing and yet faces death and betrayal at every turn—spirals into hopelessness as the series progresses.
And the voting boxes, because this is some serious attention to detail; as you can see in the images above, Gi-hun’s tracksuit proudly displays this “let’s end this now” X patch, declaring his preference:
If you need this cheerful fellow for your own, gloomily reminding you of the dangers of greed every time you catch sight of him, he’s up for pre-order ($280; expected to ship between now and June) now on Sideshow.
Netflix is reportedly closing its Boss Fight Entertainment game development studio, . The streaming giant bought the company back in 2022 and it has been responsible for games like and the interactive narrative Netflix Stories.
This is relatively surprising, as Squid Game: Unleashed was something of a hit. It launched alongside season two of the show and has amassed over ten million downloads on the Google Play Store alone, . It recently received a major software update coinciding with season three of the show.
Boss Fight Entertainment has around 80 staffers. It’s unclear if they’ll be laid off or shuffled somewhere else within Netflix’s gaming division. Engadget has reached out to Netflix and will update this post when we hear back.
Several designers at the company have expressed regret that we won’t see what it had planned for the future. “It’s infuriating that the world will never see some of the stuff that was shuffled away behind the scenes,” wrote design director .
This is the second studio that Netflix has chased out the door in the past year. It shut down its , which had attracted developers from Blizzard, Bungie and Sony Santa Monica. We never even got to find out what the team was working on.
Alice in Borderland is a Netflix death game series that’s long been caught in the gravitational pull of Squid Game. Its second season dropped in the wake of Squid Game‘s breakout first, and its newly released third followed months after Squid Game‘s. For a time, the two shows felt like twin series with Squid Game as the breakout star and Alice in Borderland as the cult favorite. Their thematic overlap made comparisons inevitable, but also exciting: two cakes, cool.
Alice in Borderland, created by Haro Aso, the creator of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, follows Arisu (Kento Yamazaki), a shut-in gamer who one day is transported into a parallel world with his friends, known as the Borderland. There, Arisu and his love interest, Usagi (Tao Tsuchiya), compete in death games to extend their visas in the mysterious world. If they fail, they’re executed by a laser from the sky.
Initially, Alice in Borderland stood apart. Its games were crueler, more cerebral, and less about class warfare and more about the randomness of the universe, with psychological torment abounding. Where Squid Game leaned into spectacle and capitalism’s failings, Alice explored survival as introspection. Its puzzles were more like pop quiz death traps, inviting viewers to play along, decipher hidden clues, and suffer when characters unceremoniously bite the dust.
Still, the show’s tone managed to be less dour and more communal, with characters forming makeshift bonds that felt more like summer camp camaraderie in hell than a group of assholes bound to double-cross each other and not grumble over doing so. Throughout its seasons, Alice in Borderland gave its cast domestic and interpersonal depth, avoiding the trope of disposable side characters or “fridged” motivators while still engaging in the narrative of the death game.
In its latest season, Alice in Borderland returned with the opportunity to be more than a placeholder, poised to capture those lingering viewer cravings for psychological carnage and narrative closure in a death game. What starts as a gripping evolution of the series slowly morphs into a perplexing imitation of its genre peers, leaving behind the originality that once made Alice in Borderland stand apart.
In a tale set years after the events of season two, Arisu returns to the Borderland to save his wife, Usagi, who’s been abducted and transported back into the sci-fi death game realm. At first, it delivers: its games are inventive, the stakes are high, and Arisu’s evolution from a hikkikomori to a survival-horror husband feels earned. The show’s quickly abandoned amnesia storyline with Arisu and Usagi is clunky, but it manages to serve the show’s sci-fi mystery box well enough, allowing the story to unfold fully as they recall the horrors of the Borderland without dragging viewers through endless memory-recovery scenes.
Yet, as the season unfurls, the similarities to Squid Game‘s second and third seasons go from coincidental to uncanny. For one, Arisu and Usagi’s return mirrors Gi-Hun’s solo reentry. While one can chalk that up to death game series tropes, its story—especially its moral dilemmas and trolley problem scenarios—begins to feel like a copy-paste job. Technically, Alice in Borderland can’t be called a copycat because it was released first, and its manga concluded in 2016, a full four years before the Netflix live-action series premiered. Plus, its second season ended where the manga did.
And therein lies the problem: season three, untethered from source material, veers into canon fanfiction territory. It’s Alice Returns, but more with the slapdash fashionings of Game of Thrones‘ infamous eighth season.
To its credit, Alice inBorderland‘s games—including poisoned bullet trains, explosive kick-the-can, and zombie-infested card wars—are thrilling. But the “why” behind them is foggy as hell. Ryuji (Kento Kaku), the pseudo-antagonist ally to Usagi, offers vague motivations that shift without payoff. The reason behind Usagi’s return to the Borderland, which is revealed to be less an abduction and more a voluntary decision between her and Ryuji, is even less defined.
What’s more, a late-stage love triangle between the three comes off like a desperate gasp for drama, with Usagi and Ryuji displaying more chemistry than the central couple. Arisu and Usagi, despite being married, still feel like they’re in the early awkward stages of dating. And in a show whose whole intrigue is buckling at its very foundation, the one meritorious wink towards something worthwhile to watch as an epilogue to an otherwise great show is a travesty—especially considering that from the halfway point onward, Alice in Borderland goes full Squid Game in the most unimaginative way possible.
Season three’s finale leans hard into Squid Game déjà vu, introducing a defied game master who waxes poetic about nihilism and tosses in a quandary that thankfully spares us a CGI baby, only to replace it with something even more absurd. The philosophical stakes, already murky, become obscured by spectacle. And just when you think it might wrap with grace, the final episode pivots toward franchise expansion with all the subtlety of a death laser from the sky.
It’s the kind of ending that doesn’t leave you breathless—it leaves you slumped, watching the credits roll in quiet resignation. Honestly, Cate Blanchett could’ve walked in wearing an embroidered suit with “IP Synergy” on the front pocket, and it wouldn’t have felt out of place. That’s how proudly the show parades its mimicry, echoing the same unnecessary sequel bloat that’s turned its twin series into a scavenged husk—its once-brilliant premiere now a distant, commodified memory.
And that’s the tragedy. Alice in Borderland had the bones of a standout death game series whose original third season could’ve served as the decadently drawn horse head to complete the whole stallion. Its cinematography is sleek, its CGI polished, and its homage to Cubeand Battle Royale is sincere. Up until now, Alice in Borderland never felt derivative. But in trying to stretch its barely-there ideas into a third season, it became what Squid Game already was: a series bloated by its own success, gorging on spectacle while starving its story.
In the pantheon of death games, Squid Game may have devolved into a child’s sketch of a horse’s head. But Alice in Borderland already had the outline of a complete sketch to adapt—decadent, detailed, and daring. Unfortunately, season three is the epitome of creative greed, and if not that, something as bereft as it, drawing past the finish line and losing the plot.
There’s no reason to delay getting in the spirit of Halloween as popular costume retailers begin to release this year’s slate of pop culture-inspired looks. From Spirit Halloween to BoxLunch to PetSmart, there are a ton of fandom fits across stores and online for the while family.
There are also options of the more creepy and altogether ooky variety from another Netflix hit, Wednesday, with new costume looks inspired by season two of the show. Alas, there are no KPop Demon Hunters costumes yet but if you get crafty, you can DIY an outfit repping Huntr/x or the Saja Boys with band shirts available at BoxLunch—there’s more Nevermore fun there too.
Spirit Halloween also has a Jurassic Park collection that steps away from the recent franchise and focuses on the characters from the original film. So there are great Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler, and even Dennis Nedry options, but glaringly no Ian Malcolm. The dinosaur choices range from inflatables to cute baby velociraptors.
For a retro family ensemble, Sesame Street has an extensive monster costume collection at Spirit as well as Bums and Roses. The latter offers cozy, wearable, character-inspired outfits that allow for dressing comfortably without resorting to full fuzzy onesies, featuring sweaters and simple short-sleeve casual cosplay options.
As popular Disney Parks Halloween events begin, families can easily embrace the Disney bounding trend with Disney and Pixar outfits available at Posh Peanut. From comfy Mike or Sully Monsters Inc. hoodies to bamboo character outfits inspired by Alice in Wonderland to witchy velvet Hocus Pocusdresses, there are dynamic ways to play dress-up no matter how old you are.
There’s plenty for Disney fans out there, including a wild baby Edward Scissorhands costume and online retailer PatPat’s spooky Disney drops, which include Hundred Acre Wood friend-inspired playful dresses, cool weather Disney Princess looks, and matching Disney Halloween family sweaters.
And let’s not forget the pets! PetSmart has doggie fits to get them in on the group costume action with looks inspired by Pixar and for superhero fans, Superman’s best bud, Krypto.
We’re still officially in “teaser trailer” territory for the new season of Squid Game but a lot of interesting details just dropped in the latest one for season two.
The new trailer takes us deeper into the games as Seong Gi-hun, played by Lee Jung-jae, returns to the island presumably to take down the rich tyrants and the Front Man from the inside of the tournament. Seong is back as a player (Player 456 again, to be specific) and at least two of the games from the last season will be part of the new one, including “Green Light” and the dalgona cookie cutting challenge. This time, however, they have an experienced contestant in the sea of green, bloodied jumpsuits who can tell them how to avoid the pitfalls (figuratively and literally if the Mirror Bridge returns).
Seong seems to be on a personal crusade to save the latest batch of players who may not have any understanding of the games and its very high stakes. Unlike last season, Seong isn’t smiling when he takes his official contestant photo. The new trailer also features an impassioned Seong trying to convince the new batch of players to vote to leave the island with their lives still intact.
The next season of Squid Game lands on Netflix the day after Christmas, but for me, it still cannot get here quick enough.
Season one of Squid Game was packed full of mysteries, twists, shocking reveals, and just shocks in general—no wonder it was a hugely popular hit for Netflix that also raked in critical acclaim, including six Emmys and a historic first Outstanding Drama Series nomination for a non-English language show. So it’s no wonder that fans have cooked up ideas about what to expect when the show returnsin December.
In a new video shared as part of Netflix’s ongoing Geeked Week, stars Lee Jung-jae (last season’s unlikely but impossible-not-to-root-for winner Seong Gi-hun), Lee Byung-hun (the Front Man, definitely a character still hiding some major secrets), and Wi Ha-jun (determined detective Hwang Jun-ho) pull up a chair and react to fan theories gathered from viewers all over the world.
Are Squid Game fan theories the universal language that will unite us all? It’s entirely possible!
Our favorite suggestions include:
Season two will reveal more about the jumpsuit-wearing Squid Game staff from season one, maybe even showing the same events from their point of view. Wi Ha-Jun likes this theory, but… no.
There’s a special meaning behind which color envelope prospective Squid Game competitors choose when they’re being recruited. Lee Byong-hung deadpans to whichever fan wrote that theory: “I think you’re the only one who thought so.”
Gi-hun will seek revenge on the loan sharks who forced him into playing the game in the first place. “Do you think the kind-hearted Seong Gi-hun would do something to harm others?”, Lee Jung-jae asks cheerfully, as the footage shows his character brutally wailing on someone in season one.
Just about the only solid info that emerges from the video is that there will be “many new games” in season two, and “they are all Korean games,” as well as “season two is more interesting than all these theories put together.” And, of course, the video reacquiants us with Squid Game‘s trio of returning stars—all of whom are a lot more charming in real life than the characters they play on the show.
Season two’s new cast members include Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young, Lee Jin-uk, Park Sung-hoon, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-sim, Lee David, Choi Seung-hyun, Roh Jae-won, Jo Yu-ri, and Won Ji-an. We don’t know much of anything about who they’re playing, in case you want to squeeze in a few more theories! (According to the video, neither Park nor Jo is playing a grown-up version of Gi-hun’s young daughter.)
All will be revealed—or at least more will be revealed; there’s also a third and final season coming—when Squid Game season two hits Netflix December 26.
Following the success of Squid Game: The Trials in Los Angeles, it will head to New York under the new name of Squid Game: The Experience.
Opening October 11, 2024, at the Manhattan Mall, Squid Game: The Experience invites fans and thrill seekers alike to step into the world of Squid Game and try their hand at some of the most popular challenges from the show, including the iconic Red Light Green Light under the watchful eye of Young-hee. After a series of epic game play, players can indulge in authentic and show-inspired Korean food & beverage at the Night Market and splurge on exclusive collectibles, games and photos at Squid Mart.
Squid Game Season 2 was recently announced to debut on Netflix on December 26, 2024, so the timing is good if you want something of a physical recap of the smash hit Netflix series.
It’s the latest immersive Netflix experience after similar ones for shows such as Stranger Things and Bridgerton.
Check out the sizzle trailer for Squid Game: The Experience below.
More details on Squid Game: The Experience
”Fans and thrill-seekers alike are invited to step into the immersive Squid Game: The Experience and face the on-screen challenges in-person, including the iconic Red Light Green Light under the watchful eye of Young-hee. Front Man himself will dare the brave players, testing their skills and strategy in heart-pounding games inspired by the series. But, watch out for some brand new challenging surprises along the way!
The stakes are high, but rest assured – once the game is complete – all players can revel in their success or forget their failures at the Night Market featuring authentic Korean snacks and special vending machines offering ramen and boba, and a fully stocked bar with Squid Game inspired cocktails.
And, to further the Squid Game experience, players can stop by the Squid Mart to bring home their very own exclusive collectibles, apparel, games and enjoy unique photo opportunities – only available at Squid Game: The Experience.”
New Yorkers can now join the waitlist on the website to get the chance to purchase tickets before anyone else. Sales will open to the general public starting Wednesday, August 21, 2024 at 10 AM ET. Tickets are limited and must be purchased online in advance by visiting the aforementioned website
Gi-hun is back in the game as Netflix unveils the first teaser for the long-awaited sophomore season of Squid Game.
Lee Jung-jae reprises his role as the champion and sole survivor from Season 1 in the new 30-second clip, which features a series of faceless players in their green tracksuits, the last of which is revealed to be his character Seong Gi-hun.
The dramatically-lit teaser shows each player’s number on the back of their jackets, increasing until reaching Gi-hun’s #456 patch.
Season 2 takes place three years after Gi-hun won Squid Game, giving up on going to the states and coming back with a new resolution in his mind. He once again dives into the mysterious survival game, starting another life-or-death game with new participants gathered to win the prize of 45.6 billion won.
Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk previously told Deadline that the new season will see Gi-hun seeking revenge, entering the game as a different, more serious character.
For the first season, Dong-hyuk made history as the first Asian person to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. Jung-jae also became the first Asian man to win Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, as well as the first to win the award for a non-English show.
Squid Game also became Netflix’s most popular series of all time with a record 1.65 billion views in the first 28 days following its 2021 premiere.
After revealing that Season 2 of Squid Game will premiere on December 26, Netflix announced last month that the third and final season will follow in 2025.
Netflix has finally set a date for the next season of Squid Game, almost three years after the Korean drama became a massive hit in the US. Season 2 is set to hit Netflix December 26, with a final third season coming sometime in 2025, the streamer .
While the initial teaser for Season 2 doesn’t reveal much about what to expect in the next installment, Netflix shared a few more details about the plot in a letter from Hwang Dong-hyuk, the series’ director and writer.
Seong Gi-hun who vowed revenge at the end of Season 1 returns and joins the game again. Will he succeed in getting his revenge? Front Man doesn’t seem to be an easy opponent this time either. The fierce clash between their two worlds will continue into the series finale with Season 3, which will be brought to you next year.
I am thrilled to see the seed that was planted in creating a new Squid Game grow and bear fruit through the end of this story.
We’ll do our best to make sure we bring you yet another thrill ride. I hope you’re excited for what’s to come. Thank you, always, and see you soon, everyone.
Despite the long wait since the initial season, Netflix has done a lot to capitalize on the success of Squid Game. The series inspired a spinoff reality show, called Squid Game: The Challenge, which has also for a second season. The company also treated fans to an IRL Squid Game in Los Angeles.
Additionally, Netflix announced plans for a Squid Game that will debut alongside Season 2 of the show. Details of the game are unclear, but the company has said that players will “compete with friends in games they’ll recognize from the series.”
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The games are afoot once again. Netflix just announced that Squid Game season two will arrive December 26, with the third and final season following soon after in 2025.
“Three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 remains determined to find the people behind the game and put an end to their vicious sport,” the press release reads. “Using this fortune to fund his search, Gi-hun starts with the most obvious of places: look for the man in a sharp suit playing ddakji in the subway. But when his efforts finally yield results, the path toward taking down the organization proves to be deadlier than he imagined: to end the game, he needs to re-enter it.”
The news was announced with the following video as well as a heartfelt letter to the fans from Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk. Read that below.
Netflix
So, are you ready for the games to begin one more time?
While fans of The Hunger Games await the new new Hunger Games film from Lionsgate and Suzanne Collins’ forthcoming fifth novel in the saga (titled The Hunger Games:Sunrise on the Reaping), there are a myriad of movies and TV shows that volunteer as tribute to fill the void.
Whether seeking stories about similar dystopian worlds, young protagonists trying to survive amid hardships or action-packed adventures with a little bit of romance à la Katniss, Peeta and Gale, audiences can find satisfaction in films and TV shows that have similarities to The Hunger Games franchise.
From movies based on best-selling books like Divergent and The Maze Runner to international hit Squid Game, exploring a new kind of deadly arena and a viewing guilty pleasure, The Hunger Games fans may find that the odds are in their favor of finding something that resembles the four-film franchise.
Below, The Hollywood Reporter takes a look at 10 films and TV shows that offer similarities to The Hunger Games. THR also put together a definitive ranking of the films, including The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes prequel.
‘Divergent’
Image Credit: Everett Collection
Divergent was a dystopian franchise that shortly followed the release of the first Hunger Games film and shared a variety of similarities with the Panem world. Based on Veronica Roth’s trilogy of books first released in 2011, the films center on protagonist Beatrice “Tris” Prior (Shailene Woodley), who lives in a post-apocalyptic dystopian Chicago. Throughout Divergent, Insurgent, and Allegiant, society is divided into five factions — Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful) and Erudite (the intelligent). After choosing to leave her family and transfer to the Dauntless faction, Tris learns more about herself and the dangerous secrets her society is trying to keep hidden. Then, despite finding herself in danger, a blooming romance also takes place. In addition to Woodley, the films star Theo James and Kate Winslet.
‘The Maze Runner’
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection
Also adapted from bestselling book trilogy of the same name by James Dashner, 2014’s Maze Runner film starred Dylan O’Brien and was directed by Wes Ball. The dystopian science fiction story tells a similar survival narrative as The Hunger Games, with young protagonists left stranded and forced to survive. After teen Thomas (O’Brien) finds himself at the center of a giant labyrinth with no memory of his previous life, he and the other youths are forced to survive and find a way to escape the maze. The Maze Runner film was followed by ScorchTrials (2015) and The Death Cure (2018).
The 2000 film Battle Royale featured a similar premise to The Hunger Games, in which ninth graders are sent to a deserted island and left to survive under dangerous circumstances. Despite being provided with weapons, a map and food, each child has an explosive collar fitted around their neck. If they break a rule, the collar explodes. Like The Hunger Games seeking a sole tribute, the young protagonists in Battle Royale have to kill each other to be the last one standing, which ultimately lets them leave the island.
‘Lord of the Flies’
Image Credit: Everett
Another book adaptation, the classic 1954 William Golding novel of the same name, Lord of the Flies tells a similar story of survival with young protagonists. After their plane crashes and leaves them stranded them on a remote island, a group of young boys must figure out how to survive. Though not a direct comparison, the story offers similar consequences and a fight to stay hopeful and remain alive like Katniss and others in the Hunger Games stories.
‘Squid Game’
Image Credit: Noh Juhan/Netflix
Rather than compete to be named the victor tribute, Netflix’s Squid Game has contestants fighting for money. In the Netflix series, individuals struggling with poverty or financial situations are invited to compete each other in kids games with a deadly twist. Despite having different motives, the competition resembles that of The Hunger Games‘ dangerous arena and life or death consquences.
‘The Society’
Image Credit: Seacia Pavao/Netflix
Though Netflix’s The Society only received one season, the series shared similarities with The Hunger Games. The Society takes place in a town where all the adults disappear without warning, leaving the teenagers to fend for themselves and create a new town. Things take a darker turn amid conflicts and threats which could impact the young protagonists’ chance of survival. Once again a group of young protagonists, like in The Hunger Games, are forced to survive on their own.
‘Silo’
In Apple TV+’s post-apocalyptic series starring Rebecca Ferguson, people live in a community like The Hunger Games‘ districts, only this community exists in a giant underground silo. In the silo is a society full of regulations designed to supposedly protect everyone. However, when the sheriff breaks a cardinal rule and people begin dying mysteriously, an engineer (Ferguson) begins discovering secrets about the silo. The story features similarities to The Hunger Games‘ Capitol, which attempts to present itself as a savior to the districts. But Katniss soon learns the dark secrets of President Snow and the dangerous regulations and way of life he and the Capitol are trying to uphold.
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’
Image Credit: Sophie Giraud/Hulu
For those seeking something akin to Katniss leading the resistance, look no further than Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale. The dark dystopian series based on Margaret Atwood’s novel of the same name, centers on a totalitarian society that has subjected fertile women into sexual servitude. Like Katniss, Elisabeth Moss’s Offred/June is the series’ female heroine, who is forced to be a Handmaid as Katniss is forced to compete in the Hunger Games. However, both fight back against an oppressive system.
‘The Purge’
Image Credit: Courtesy of Universal Studios
The Purge may be a horror film, but with a storyline centered on a deadly event taking place every year, it’s not hard to see the underlying similarities with The Hunger Games. In the film, which also spawned a franchise including The Forever Purge, pictured above, the U.S. government allows 12-hour periods of time in which all illegal activity is legal. During this time, things are prone to become dangerous and deadly for many, leaving others to fight back and try to survive. The storyline can mirror that of The Hunger Games’ competition, in which tributes are forced to fight to the death in battles that also serve as spectacle.
‘The 100’
Image Credit: Everett
For fans of young protagonists in a dystopian world, The 100 is worth a watch. The CW show, which lasted for seven seasons, takes place in a time when it has been nearly 100 years since Earth was devastated by a nuclear apocalypse. The only survivors are the inhabitants of 12 international space stations. Years later, the leaders of space habitat the Ark exile a group of 100 juvenile prisoners to the Earth’s surface to test whether it’s habitable despite no one having set foot on the planet in nearly a century. With the characters attempting to be free from control of their leaders and forced to survive on their own, the story may seem like a Hunger Games-inspired scenario.
Exciting news for “Squid Game: The Challenge” enthusiasts — Netflix has officially given the green light to Season 2, and they’re inviting contenders to step into the arena for a shot at the colossal $4.56 million prize.
In case you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t indulged in the addictive reality show yet, let us catch you up. “Squid Game: The Challenge” draws inspiration from the gripping K-Drama, featuring 456 participants vying for the grandest prize in reality TV history — $4.56 million.
To emerge as the victor in this high-stakes competition, players must navigate a series of challenges that harken back to childhood games. These challenges are more than just games; they’re designed to test and push contestants to their mental limits, challenging their core values.
If the idea of bagging that jaw-dropping $4.56 million piques your interest, here’s how to throw your hat in the ring for “Squid Game: The Challenge” Season 2.
How to Apply for “Squid Game: The Challenge”
Firstly, head over to the official “Squid Game: The Challenge” casting website. Once there, select your region — which is “globally” for us Aussies.
Before you dive into the application process, make sure you meet the requirements: you must be at least 21 years old and available for up to four weeks to accommodate the filming schedule.
Next, fill in your personal details on the application form. Then, the spotlight turns to you — film a one-minute video where you introduce yourself, share why you’re itching to be on the show, outline your game plan, and let your imagination run wild on how you’d spend that life-changing $4.56 million.
To complete your application, attach at least two recent photographs of yourself. Voilà, you’re ready to hit submit!
So, what are you waiting for? Don’t miss this chance to step into the world of “Squid Game: The Challenge”. Good luck, potential game-changer!
Want some entertainment stories? Click through the articles below:
Although she won one of the largest lump sums in reality TV competition history, Squid Game: The Challenge champion Mai Whelan hasn’t been able to enjoy the spoils of her victory just yet. In an interview with The Sunday Times, Whelan shares that she has yet to receive her $4.56 million cash prize from Netflix for winning the competition, leaving the streamer with a simple message: “Show me the money.”
On December 6, fans watched Whelan, a 55-year-old immigration adjudicator and US Navy veteran, emerge victorious in Squid Game: The Challenge’s season finale. She clinched her victory after beating 27-year-old-contestant Phill Cain in a game of “rock, paper, scissors,” earning that enormous grand prize. To win what’s technically the second-largest reward in reality TV history—after the US edition of The X Factor, which awarded winners recording contracts worth $5 million—Whelan had to triumph over 455 other contestants in physical and mental games during a two-week competition that aired on Netflix over the course of 10 episodes. Though filming wrapped in February, Whelan says she hasn’t received any of her winnings.
“I feel like Tom Cruise in Jerry McGuire,” she told The Sunday Times. “Show me the money!”
Someone with knowledge of the production told Vanity Fair that the contestants were always aware of the payment plan and that the winner will receive the prize fund now that the finale episode has aired.
Since winning the competition, based on Netflix’s hit South Korean drama series Squid Game, Whelan has been rather conservative with her spending. She got a short, trendy haircut, a black Ralph Lauren dress, and Jimmy Choo shoes to attend a Squid Game gala. “I still have buyer’s remorse from that, but I think it’s well deserved,” she told The Times.
The Squid Game experience, for Whelan, wasn’t easy. “I didn’t expect it to be so stressful,” Whelan said. “It takes a lot out of you, that game. To beat out 455 players was a very emotional moment for me.” She was not the only one who had a difficult time during the competition series. Shortly after filming wrapped, multiple Squid Game: The Challenge contestants told Rolling Stone that their experience was rife with “torment and trauma,” and that the competition was “rigged” from the start. (Netflix released a statement to Vanity Fair saying the contestants’ claims were “simply untrue”).
In November, contestants from the reality competition series threatened a lawsuit against Netflix and the show’s producers, alleging that they had been physically harmed while making the show. Two contestants claimed that they suffered hypothermia and nerve damage while shooting the first leg of the series, a game of “Red Light, Green Light” at Cardington Studios in Bedford, UK, outside, in the middle of winter. A Netflix spokesperson told Deadline at the time that no lawsuit had been filed.
“I didn’t have any high expectations. I just wanted to move forward to see the set,” Whelan said of her motivation to succeed, in a recent interview with Today. “That was my whole thing. The whole set that they did was amazing. To see the dormitory and set after set. That drove me: I have to stay in to see another set.”
A grandmother who lives in Fairfax, Virginia, with her husband, Whelan told The Times that she intends to buy property whenever her winnings arrive. “I’m thinking about a retirement home somewhere,” said Whelan. “We don’t know where yet, and we are happy with where we are. We live on the water. It’s very peaceful.” She also said she’s interested in donating some portion of the money to “charities for the underprivileged, wildlife, and climate change.” Whelan told the outlet that, per her contract, she is not allowed to share any of her winnings with her former competitors.
Squid Game: The Challenge was a smashing success for the streaming platform, with more than 170 million hours watched worldwide since its premiere on November 22. It’s already been renewed for a second season. Netflix declined to comment.
It’s hard to think of another television series that has captured the global audience the way that Squid Game has. The South Korean drama, where 456 players compete in a deadly game for millions of dollars, became Netflix’s most-watched series and the most-watched program in 94 countries.
The series garnered critical acclaim and took home several international awards. Two years later, Squid Game fever shows no signs of slowing down. That’s thanks in part to the massively successful Squid Game: The Challenge reality series which, while completely missing the point of its predecessor, was nevertheless successful enough to earn a second season.
Okay, but when is Squid Game coming back?
Series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has said he’s working on season two, but there has been little news from Netflix about the highly anticipated season. So, what do we know about season two of Squid Game?
When we last saw protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), he was boarding an airplane to visit his daughter in America. But after watching the game recruiter manipulate another desperate player, he takes the invitation card and calls the phone number. He asks the voice on the other end who is running the games, but the voice warns him to board the plane. Instead, Gi-hun walks away from the terminal, presumably to take the game-makers down.
No release date has been set for season 2 of the series, but a table read took place in June 2023. The series is currently filming, meaning the earliest it could premiere is late 2024. We’ll keep you updated as soon as we learn more.
When I first came across Squid Game: The Challenge, I decided to apply straight away. We were required to submit a 60-second video, and as soon as I received a callback, I knew I would be accepted.
I’ve always had so much more to offer. I’m often underestimated and stereotyped. People frequently look at me and question what I’m capable of, but there’s more to me than meets the eye. I knew that all I needed was a chance to prove that.
I was confident during the interview and was certain that I could convince the team that I had what it took to join Squid Game.
Entering Squid Game: The Challenge
The challenge started with 456 participants. Winning the cash prize was more of an afterthought until I saw the large amount of money in front of me.
I didn’t harbor any hopes of winning—I just wanted to experience what it was like to participate in the Squid Game. Having watched the show, it was a very popular series. At one point, it felt like everyone was talking about it.
Amanda Tayor pictured (L & R) in “Squid Game: The Challenge” on Netflix. Netflix/Amanda Tayor
When I was watching the series as a viewer, I struggled to connect with how the characters were feeling and thinking, as the game seemed trivial. But when you’re in it, it’s a completely different experience.
For example, the Dalgona cookie challenge was one of the hardest games I’ve ever participated in. You’re sitting there with many people around you, all doing the same thing. The ticking clock, growing louder with time, adding to the pressure.
In the beginning, I thought 10 minutes was more than enough time to cut the cookie, but people started to pass within just a minute or two. I found myself nowhere near finished and started to wonder: Why am I not getting through yet?
That thought made me panic even more.
For the viewer, it may seem easy, but the comparison aspect—of actually being in the game and constantly having to watch others—makes it so much harder.
During the Red Light Green Light challenge, I was one of the last to cross the line. I watched everyone else experience the joy of advancing, while I was battling with thoughts of failure.
There was a moment when I thought I wouldn’t even get through this because there were only five seconds left, and that was only the first challenge.
Later on in the challenge, as more people got eliminated, the thought of winning became real for me. I began thinking about the $4.56 million and what I’d do if I won it.
The first thing that came to mind was buying a large country house somewhere. A house that could stay in the family forever. But as I got to know more people and heard their stories, I realized that there was so much more I could do with the prize money.
I began to think about the people and causes I wanted to help in the community. My son has Tourette syndrome, and there’s an impactful charity that we’re a part of. I saw the potential to make a positive impact in that field.
My son is also part of a local football team, which is run by hardworking volunteers. They’ve been incredibly supportive of my son’s football journey and his personal growth. This was another area where I felt I could make a difference.
While $4.56 million isn’t going to change the world, it can make a big difference to some people.
Forming an Alliance
Later on in the challenge, I slowly began to notice that there were 22 men and only nine women.
I knew the females had to stick together because some of the males were forming strong alliances, and we were somewhat left on our own. We weren’t the loudest or the biggest characters in the room, so the men were essentially taking over in the dorm.
I could feel that and knew something needed to be done. I was under the radar, not out there getting into every group and trying to talk with everybody. I was very conscious that when you became a big character, you became a target.
I suggested that in the Alliance challenge, the females should vote for each other first, before voting for the males. I was taking a risk because I didn’t know if I would get the backing of the other females. I wasn’t sure if they would agree and then go back to the other groups and reveal that I was rallying the women together.
It was a risk, but it needed to be taken at that point. I was fortunate that it ended up working out, despite a few hiccups along the way.
I was frustrated when one of the females ended up picking a male, despite having a conversation minutes before and assuring us that we would pick each other. I thought: What are you doing?
She wasn’t just showing me that I couldn’t trust her, she was showing everyone else. I knew who to trust, and who to stay away from.
Seeing People’s True Colours
As we got closer to winning the cash prize, I began to see people’s true colors and intentions in the game.
During the Glass Bridge challenge, one of the females, Mai, volunteered to jump first behind the scenes, which was a big, thoughtful gesture. I was cheering her on, but just before the challenge was about to begin, she changed her mind.
I thought to myself: Hold on, you’re trying to project this image of being a team player, but you didn’t follow through.
I couldn’t voice my thoughts loudly at this stage because Mai had too many allies. She also chose to target another female in the dice challenge, going against the decision we all agreed upon. This was frustrating for me.
At one point, I could no longer hide my annoyance. I thought: That’s it. I decided to take a step back, and everyone knew it. I wasn’t the only person feeling this way, so there was tension among the players.
I was eliminated in the semi-finals during the Circle of Trust challenge. It was a fellow female who took me out, and I was the second to be eliminated in that challenge.
As soon as I walked into that room, I knew it couldn’t have been a worse challenge at that stage. I thought, Oh, this is how it’s going to happen, I’m going home.
There were very few friends sitting around that room at that stage, so I knew that they’d probably want to eliminate me.
Before walking into that challenge, I thought that I could have been a millionaire, but it was ripped away without me doing anything.
Behind The Scenes
The conditions in the challenge worked out okay for me. We only got three square meals a day. The porridge was flavorless—there was nothing to it, no salt or pepper, and it was basic. In terms of the portion size, I didn’t struggle.
However, I was watching some of the men who were much bigger than me. They were exercising and running around, burning up all this energy, and I thought, You’re not replenishing anything. Why are you doing that? You should save your energy.
I kept myself hydrated. I didn’t go doing laps of the dorm or doing star jumps every morning like some others. I’ve heard people saying how cold they were, but I was warm. I even took off my jacket at times.
I enjoyed the experience. I was quite cozy, to be honest. I had the top bunk, so it was good.
You don’t see the producers behind the scenes. They only take you to where you need to go, which made the experience feel very real.
Once you’re in the game, you’re in the game. The only time you have contact with any of the creatives, shall we say, is when they were moving us between sets. But even then, we were always on the move, so there wasn’t time to build any relationships.
The experience was very much authentic, and the thing I took away from it was how I was towards other people. I get on with everyone and I love being around people, but as an only child, I’ve grown up content with my own space and independence.
As a single parent, I’m a “get up and go” type of person and try not to rely on anyone—I tend to do things independently.
Being in the challenge made me realize the importance of connections with other players, something I hadn’t anticipated initially. I thought I needed to be on my own and couldn’t afford to make friends because, in the end, it would come down to just me.
But once you’re in there, that mindset goes out the window.
I became much more open to people, letting them in and getting to know them. It was quite empowering. Many people have pointed out in the past that I need to let people in, and I have to admit that the challenge helped me realize that they are right.
People make the world better, and the challenge had an impact on me. I’ve met people who I believe will be friends for life.
This experience was something I will always cherish and remember.
Amanda Tayor is player 019 on “Squid Game: The Challenge”, reaching the semi-finals. She is also an international tae kwon do champion, and a HR manager.
All views expressed in this article are the author’s own.
As told to Newsweek’s Associate Editor, Carine Harb.
Do you have a unique experience or personal story to share? Email the My Turn team at myturn@newsweek.com
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
When Hwang Dong-hyuk’s Squid Game debuted on Netflix in 2021, it took the world by storm, literally. The story follows 456 financially struggling competitors – especially gambling addict Seong Gi-hun – who use strategy and luck to compete in common South Korean children’s games for 456 billion won 45.6 (that’s $38.2 million USD). The twist? If you fail a game, you die, and only one person can win.
Squid Game quickly became the platform’s most-watched series – nominated for 14 Primetime Emmys. And actors O-Yeong Su, Lee Jung-Jae, and HoYeon Jung received SAG and Golden Globe awards for their performances. Despite being a fully-subtitled show, it had such a cultural impact that Mr. Beast created his own live Squid Games (sans death)…and then, Netflix of course couldn’t resist releasing Squid Game: The Challenge.
456 contestants come together to compete for $4.56 million reward in iconic challenges like Red Light-Green Light, carving a shape out of dalgona (honeycomb candy) without cracking it, marbles, and jumping over the Glass Bridge. It’s the largest cash prize in gameshow history, enough to make people do the unthinkable. And while I wasn’t sold at first, the controversy surrounding the show is enough to get me to tune in.
Controversy Behind Squid Game: The Challenge
Now that players have been eliminated from the games, we’re getting the bigger picture of what went on during production. Contestants reported eating under 1,000 calories per day, which makes sense considering the one meal we saw them eat was a leftover-sized container of rice and egg. Temperatures were so cold that one contestant suffered from hypothermia, while others were using lubricated condoms in lieu of chapstick.
The iconic green tracksuit uniforms (which must be returned to producers after elimination) were not enough to keep the competitors warm, especially during Red Light-Green Light…where they filmed over nine hours, staying frozen in place for up to 45 minutes at a time. Time goes much quicker when you watch, which is why one contestant caught fire for not being able to hold a squat (now we know she is a modern-day warrior.)
The editing of the show itself has caused its own issues. And thanks to social media, contestants are sharing their own version of Squid Game: The Challenge. While a series villain like Ashley may have appeared selfish for refusing to step forward during Glass Bridge for Trey, reports have indicated that Trey blindly jumped tiles on his own accord.
It’s a dystopian show – inherently creepy in its message that people will quash any natural, nurturing instincts just to achieve financial freedom. You slowly watch these people go insane, building mistrust amongst themselves and against the producers, the all-knowing Big Brother voice, and eerily always-in-character guards. And now that we’re taking a peek into what it’s like inside the Games, you can understand how someone would lose their mind.
I can confirm that this gameshow is the ultimate entertainment for viewers, and the controversy behind the conditions only fuel the fire. This show has everything: betrayal, likable characters, despicable characters, and moments that will make you hold your breath and scream at your television like it’s the Super Bowl.
Who Will Win Squid Game: The Challenge?
It’s the season finale of the games tonight, December 6, when we find out which of the three finalists – Player 287, Mai; Player 451, Phill; or Player 16, Sam – will win the coveted cash prize.
It’s also been reported that the show has been renewed for a second season, so you know we’ll be tuning in.
Netflix’s new competition seriesSquid Game: The Challenge premiered at #1 for English series last week when it debuted.
Source: Courtesy / Netflix
That makes total sense because we are completely HOOKED! We’re guessing that plenty of y’all are too. Squid Game: The Challengeeliminated players Dani and Spencer spoke with BOSSIP ahead of the show airing to discuss some fears they had about friends and family seeing the show. Both players were eliminated after failing the dalgona challenge and both of their exits were very memorable, with Dani admitting on camera that she felt badly for eliminating a very nice player without any real reason and Spencer suffering from anxiety that made him both teary and nearly nauseous.
“I definitely think besides the fact that I was a little bit cutthroat, I’m sure they’re gonna give me a hard time for that, I think it’s just going to be maybe a little challenging to to hear back how hard of a time I was going through then,” Dani told BOSSIP. “I was pretty hard on myself so just hearing that back and having my family and friends see what I was going through might be hard.”
Source: Courtesy / Netflix
Meanwhile, Spencer stood strongly about baring his emotions ahead of the cookie cutting challenge that ultimately sent him packing.
“I feel pretty confident in me being myself during the show,” Spencer told BOSSIP. “I recognize that I’m a little more emotive and I try my best to wear my heart on my sleeve. I think I like that about myself so it’ll be embarrassing but I’m excited.”
We love to see it. Our Sr. Content Director Janeé Bolden even assured Spencer that his sensitivity is a super power. After all, he wasn’t the only one to shed a few tears on camera. Have you guys watched the first five episodes yet?
Source: Courtesy / Netflix
Dani and Spencer also offered some advice to potential future contestants and had some funny ideas about what they’d choose for their personal elimination music.
Squid Game: The Challenge is currently streaming on Netflix. The platform will make the next four episodes available November 29.
Contestants of Netflix reality competition show Squid Game: The Challenge have threatened legal action over the alleged injuries they obtained while filming, including hypothermia and nerve damage.
A British personal injuries law firm announced on Thursday that it sent letters of claim to the show’s production company, Studio Lambert, on behalf of two Squid Game: The Challenge contestants. The firm said its lawyers are currently in communication with other participants who may also want to file lawsuits.
The law firm, Express Solicitors, said the unnamed competition show hopefuls were injured as a result of “poor health and safety standards on set.”
Squid Game: The Challenge took the chaotic gameplay of Netflix’s smash hit Korean drama Squid Game and made it a reality — without the fatal consequences. The stakes are still high, as contestants from around the world compete for an impressive US$4.56-million prize (over C$6.2 million), the largest-ever single prize in gameshow history.
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The potential lawsuit revolves specifically around the first “Red Light, Green Light” challenge in the reality show, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Just like the fictional characters from the original drama, participants were instructed to evade capture by a giant nursery-rhyme-singing robotic doll. Rather than using bullets, as is the case in the original drama, contestants were struck with radio-controlled exploding dye once eliminated.
Daniel Slade, the CEO of Express Solicitors, said show producers “pushed the boundaries of safety in the name of entertainment.”
In a written statement, Slade continued, “Production companies need to ensure that health and safety standards on their shows don’t leave people at risk of harm.”
A spokesperson for Squid Game: The Challenge told The Hollywood Reporter that no lawsuit has been filed.
“We take the welfare of our contestants extremely seriously,” the spokesperson said.
The show was filmed at Cardington Studios, a former Royal Air Force base in Bedfordshire, U.K., during chilly weather in January. The contestants who have threatened to sue the show’s producers allege they were made to crouch without moving for prolonged periods in cold weather.
Reports earlier emerged with anonymous quotes from contestants claiming the conditions during the “Red Light, Green Light” challenge were akin to a “warzone.” A participant told the U.K.’s Sun at least one player had to be carried out on a stretcher.
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Slade endorsed the claim about a stretchered contestant in a statement to The Guardian. He said another participant’s hands turned purple in the cold.
“Contestants thought they were taking part in something fun and those injured did not expect to suffer as they did,” Slade told the outlet. “Now they have been left with injuries after spending time being stuck in painful stress positions in cold temperatures.”
Though the entire game takes only about five minutes in the Squid Game: The Challenge episode, contestant Lorenzo Nobilio told the BBC it took her seven hours to cross the “Red Light, Green Light” finish line.
In January, Netflix denied allegations that any Squid Game: The Challenge hopefuls were “seriously injured,” but did say three of the show’s 456 contestants received medical treatment for “mild” injuries.
Executive producer John Hay last week told The Hollywood Reporter that the “Red Light, Green Light” segment was a “big, complicated shoot, and it was a cold day, and it took quite a long time.”
He continued: “But everyone was prepared for that and looked after properly. We anticipated and actually strenuously tested everything in advance and made sure we took all the proper measures.”
A second executive producer, Stephen Lambert, told the outlet that contestants knew when they signed up for the competition that it wouldn’t be a cakewalk.
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“We’re giving away the largest prize in TV competition history,” Lambert said.
He said Squid Game: The Challenge contestants faced moments that were “quite tough” but not nearly as difficult as many other reality competition shows in the U.S., like popular Survivor or MTV’s The Challenge, which has seen contestants break bones and have to endure incredibly strenuous competitions.
“This is no harder than those, and in lots of shows you have people sometimes treated for mild complaints, which is what happened in that particular game,” Lambert said.
On Wednesday, Netflix released the first five episodes of Squid Game: The Challenge.
The original Squid Game drama, which saw fictional contestants overcome gargantuan odds in a life-or-death series of children’s games, smashed records for Netflix. According to the streaming giant, Squid Game was streamed in 142 million households worldwide within the first four weeks of its release. It is Netflix’s most-watched series.
“This is a savage game,” one contestant says in the first trailer for Netflix’s Squid Game: The Challenge, a high-stakes reality-competition series based on the streamer’s hit South Korean drama. And while the show’s environment echoes that of its predecessor, complete with identical tracksuits, stacked bunk beds, and that killer “Red Light Green Light” doll, there’s also an effort to emphasize cast members’ friendships in the latest footage.
“You’re the brightest light in here,” one competitor tells another at one point, while a different pair of contestants embrace. This show of unity is in stark contrast to the controversy that has already enveloped the series. Squid Game: The Challenge, which boasts 456 players and a $4.56 million reward—the largest sum in reality TV history—was first announced last June to mixed reception, given the fact that the fictional version warned against a society that pits people against one another in the pursuit of a cash reward.
Although the reality show version doesn’t have deadly consequences, in February, reports of chaos on the set emerged.
Former contestants spoke with Rolling Stone about their experience, alleging that the game was filled with “torment and trauma” and was “rigged” from the start to favor competitors who were influencers. “It was just the cruelest, meanest thing I’ve ever been through,” one of the former contestants told Rolling Stone. “We were a human horse race, and they were treating us like horses out in the cold racing and [the race] was fixed.” Others told the outlet that players were forced to play the “Red Light, Green Light” game in which an evil doll swivels to shoot players who move in sub-freezing temperatures, and that the conditions resulted in at least 10 people collapsing.
Claims that the series is “rigged” or posed “serious harm” to contestants “are simply untrue,” Netflix, Studio Lambert, and The Garden—the studios behind the show, told Vanity Fair in a statement. “We care deeply about the health of our cast and crew, and the quality of this show.” they continued. Any suggestion that the competition is rigged or claims of serious harm to players are simply untrue. We’ve taken all the appropriate safety precautions, including after care for contestants–and an independent adjudicator is overseeing each game to ensure it’s fair to everyone.”
The 10-episode series, which will blend games from the original show with “surprising new additions,” according to the synopsis, will debut on November 22 and air weekly through December 6.
This show debuted during the pandemic at a time when everyone needed the warm embrace of its earnest, feel-good attitude, but Ted Lasso can’t maintain that affection unless it’s honest about the fact that not everyone approaches life with an open heart and good intentions. Sometimes people are cruel, operate in bad faith, or simply don’t care. Coach Ted and the characters who have been won over by him remain a type of antidote to that cynicism, but to avoid becoming a Hallmark card, this show is likely to get much more real, much more edgy, and maybe a little colder before it warms things up again. —A.B.
NEW SHOWS WORTH LOOKING OUT FOR
Ahsoka(Disney+)
Premiere date TBD
The last time we visited Ted Lasso–land, we were left on a kind of cliff-hanger, a villain origin story, with former towel-boy Nate (Nick Mohammed) betraying Jason Sudeikis’s nice-guy coach by leaking details of his emotional breakdown to the press, then departing to work for a rival team.
This show debuted during the pandemic at a time when everyone needed the warm embrace of its earnest, feel-good attitude, but Ted Lasso can’t maintain that affection unless it’s honest about the fact that not everyone approaches life with an open heart and good intentions. Sometimes people are cruel, operate in bad faith, or simply don’t care. Coach Ted and the characters who have been won over by him remain a type of antidote to that cynicism, but to avoid becoming a Hallmark card, this show is likely to get much more real, much more edgy, and maybe a little colder before it warms things up again. —A.B.
All the Light We Cannot See(Netflix)
Premiere date TBD
What happens when Shawn Levy, director of Free Guy and the Night at the Museum films, takes on a Pulitzer Prize–winning book set in World War II–era France? That’s the fascinating question at the heart of All the Light We Cannot See, a miniseries adaptation of Anthony Doerr’s moving novel, which will star Mark Ruffalo and Hugh Laurie alongside newcomer Aria Mia Loberti. As much as Netflix has succeeded with buzzy TV shows, they haven’t gone for too many high-toned literary adaptations. Could this be the show to get them a seat at the table that HBO has dominated for so long? —K.R.
The Diplomat(Netflix)
Premiere date TBD
It’s unclear when exactly this new political thriller from West Wing and Homeland alum Debora Cahn will be out, but given that filming took place in London this year, there’s a good chance that Keri Russell will be back on our screens soon. In her first TV role since The Americans, Russell will play a career diplomat who finds herself in over her head after she lands a big new job. Rufus Sewell (The Man in the White Castle) and Ali Ahn (Billions) also star. —N.J.
Full Circle(HBO Max)
Limited series premiere date TBD
In the time it has taken you to read this, Steven Soderbergh has already written, directed, and edited four to six new projects, all of which will soon be appearing on a streaming service near you. The next project on his roster? Full Circle, an HBO Max limited series starring Dennis Quaid, Zazie Beetz, Claire Danes, and Timothy Olyphant. The six-episode series, directed entirely by Soderbergh, tells the story of an investigation into a botched kidnapping in New York City, with Quaid reportedly playing a high-profile chef whose grandson becomes a target. Soderbergh is famously in his Soder-bag when it comes to crime-laced thrillers, so here’s hoping this series, with its punchy longline and eclectic ensemble, is no exception. —Y.D.
The Full Monty(FX)
Premiere date TBD
In an era of reboots, reunions, and long-delayed new seasons, the British indie comedy The Full Monty was not necessarily high on anyone’s list of must-see comebacks. But now that all the original stars have agreed to return—that’s Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, Tom Wilkinson, and many more—under the guidance of original screenwriter Simon Beaufoy and producer Uberto Pasolini, why not look forward to it? The original 1997 film, the first best-picture nominee from what was then Fox Searchlight, remains a winning gem, and the new series promises to hit on many of the same themes. According to FX, “it will follow the original band of brothers as they navigate the post-industrial city of Sheffield and society’s crumbling health care, education, and employment sectors. The series will explore the brighter, sillier, and more humane way forward where communal effort can still triumph over adversity.” —K.R.
The Idol(HBO)
Premiere date TBD
Billed as coming from “the gutters of Hollywood,” the collaboration between Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson recently released a teaser trailer that includes sex, drugs, rock and roll, and star Lily-Rose Depp in a series of improbably tiny bikini tops. A toxic love story between Depp’s aspiring pop star and The Weeknd as a self-help guru, it looks like an even more Hollywood-ized version of Euphoria, or maybe The Weeknd’s dizzying club scene in Uncut Gems stretched to series length. Prepare to watch your entire Twitter feed yell about it every Sunday night whenever The Idol finally does premiere. —K.R.
The Last Thing He Told Me(Apple TV+)
Premiere date TBD
After starring in her own buzzy TV adaptations of blockbuster novels like Big Little Lies and Little Fires Everywhere, Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine presents The Last Thing He Told Me—a starring vehicle for Jennifer Garner (who replaced Julia Roberts), based on Laura Dave’s 2021 book. Garner stars as Hannah, a woman who finds new means of connection with her 16-year-old stepdaughter (Angourie Rice) as they search for their husband and father Owen (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) following his startling disappearance. Dave is adapting her novel alongside cocreator and husband Josh Singer, winner of an Oscar for cowriting 2015’s Spotlight.Olivia Newman, who helmed Hello Sunshine’s Where the Crawdads Sing film adaptation, has been brought on to direct. —S.W.
Lessons in Chemistry(Apple TV+)
Premiere date TBD
The adaptation of Bonnie Garmus’s best-selling novel centers on a woman (Brie Larson) whose dreams of being a scientist but, stifled by the 1960s societal belief that women belong in the kitchen and not the labs, instead uses her hosting gig on a TV cooking show to help women learn about much more than making dinner. Oscar winner Larson also produces the series, which also stars Lewis Pullman, Aja Naomi King, and Beau Bridges.—R.F.
Masters of the Air(Apple TV+)
Premiere date TBD
In development at HBO for nearly a decade before Apple took it over, this World War II historical drama is produced by none other than Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, among others, and reunites Hanks with his Elvis costar Austin Butler. Cary Joji Fukunaga, also an executive producer, is among the sterling list of directors on the reportedly wildly expensive series—Dee Rees (Mudbound), Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (Captain Marvel), and Tim van Patten (The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones, etc. etc.) also step behind the camera. Twenty years after Band of Brothers, are Hanks and Spielberg set to make TV history again? —K.R.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story(Netflix)
Limited series premiere date TBD
Have you wondered what Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) was like before she was the talk of the ’Ton? Then you’re in luck because Netflix’s Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story waltzes onto the streaming platform in 2023. The limited prequel series from mega-producer Shonda Rhimes will follow the travails of the young Queen Charlotte (India Amarteifio) as well as younger versions of Bridgerton matriarchs Lady Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) and Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh). ”It truly is stunning,” Netflix head of scripted series Peter Friedlandertold Variety. “It is going to live up to your expectations.” —C.M.
Secret Invasion(Disney+)
Premiere Date TBD
It’s been 15 years since Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury first told Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man about a “bigger universe.” Little did he know what awaited them! And with Secret Invasion, Jackson is finally getting his turn in the spotlight. Adapted from one of Marvel Comics’ most memorable story lines, the series sets Fury up against a faction of Skrulls (the shape-shifting alien race introduced in 2019’s Captain Marvel) that have infiltrated Earth on a global scale. Given its premise and star power (newcomers Emilia Clarke,Kingsley Ben-Adir, and Academy Award winner Olivia Colman join a formidable lineup of MCU veterans including Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Ben Mendelsohn, Don Cheadle, and Martin Freeman), Secret Invasion is shaping up to be a twisted joyride that’s more spy thriller than CGI-fest. It couldn’t arrive at a better time. —T.B.
Three-Body Problem(Netflix)
Premiere date TBD
Game of Thrones’ D.B.s return—David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are overseeing this sci-fi series about humanity’s first encounter with intelligent alien life. Cocreated with True Blood’s Alexander Woo, the show is based on a novel by Liu Cixin and will reportedly cover a vast span of time with an ensemble cast. Among the actors are Jess Hong of Inked,Liam Cunningham (a Thrones veteran), John Bradley (another), and Doctor Strange’s Benedict Wong and Jovan Adepo (Fences). The title refers to a type of physics equation that predicts the movements of three different objects in relation to each other. The notoriously difficult question focused on whether a repeating pattern could be discerned. With two objects—that’s no problem. But add the third, and the possibilities become much harder to predict. —A.B.
