It’s been a week since Squid Game: The Challenge made its premiere. In such a short time, the competition show already made numerous headlines in different aspects. Be it for its “villainous” player, lawsuit filing seeking compensation related to the injuries, or even the elimination procedures. But now, the show has outed the making cost of each of its episodes. How much was it?
As you may all know, Squid Game: The Challenge has a total of 10 episodes in total. At present, only the finale episode, which is scheduled for 6 December 2023, is left to air. All we need to be is a bit more patient.
In total, 456 players risked their lives to take part in the show. Concerning the prize money, it was $4.56 million, a life-changing deal, of course. Little did you know, more than 100,000 people applied for the show.
Lately, the audience of Squid Game: The Challenge started wondering how much the players paid while they were on the show. One of those 456 players came up front and shared the details about the cost of making it. Here is everything you need to know.
Squid Game: The Challenge Budget Explained: How Much Was It?
Were the players paid while being on the show? The answer is – No. As mentioned earlier, one player, Radhika Srinivasan, opened up about it, stating, “Literally zero!” She further added that they were all there acting like that for nothing because the stake was very high, more precisely $4.65 million.
In other words, the only one who earned money from Squid Game: The Challenge was the winner. Who was it? For that, you need to switch to Netflix on 6 December.
Even though the players were not given any monetary benefit for being on the show, the company reportedly paid for their travel. The contestants shared that it covered the international flight expenses to reach London and get back home. Radhika also shared that her home was not very far away from London. Because of that, she didn’t need any flight for the travel. The company paid for a taxi and a train.
Not only that but all of the 456 players were provided with a bum bag consisting of essentials. Like? Daily necessities like a toothbrush, toothpaste, and other toiletries. Not just that, the company also provided them with costumes.
Now, the question is- how much did each episode of Squid Game: The Challenge cost? Well, the budget for each episode of the show exceeded $1 million. One must note that the objective of making such expenditures was to replicate the captivating atmosphere of the original South Korean series. It kept in mind- the authenticity and quality of the show in every aspect.
The players were even provided with meals. Even though they were not tasty or tempting, the producers made sure that they were healthy and nutritious. Well, that was made with the thought of the contestants being able to play and give their best.
A huge part of the budget was used to develop detailed set designs and maintain the architecture. Well, the set designer of Squid Game: The Challenge, Mathieu Weekes, shared that the settings were made so that it would “trap both the 456 contestants and spectators in the volatile environment of the game.”
While talking about the show’s budget, Red Light Green Light set up, cookie challenge room, dormitory, and everything were reconstructed.
The shooting of Squid Game: The Challenge started in January 2023. Where was it filmed? Some scenes were shot at Cardington Studios, Bedford. At the same time, some were at Wharf Studios, Barking, London.
Little did you know, the making cost of the bunk beds was also quite a lot. It reportedly used 20 tons of steel to construct that. It was not just the substantial amount of money but the effort that went into managing the players and filming the competition series. Who do you think is going to take the $4.56 million cash prize to home?
