There was a lot of hype behind Squid Game: The Challenge and that was reflected by the number of people who applied to participate in Netflix’s newest competition series.
In 2021, South Korea’s Squid Game dropped on the platform, and it was a massive hit for the streamer. The scripted thriller-drama’s second season is in production, and it’s been linked to a 2024 release window. The success of Squid Game also directly led to the inception of Squid Game: The Challenge — a reality TV show pitting hundreds of contestants against each other in pursuit of a $4.56 million jackpot.
According to Netflix, approximately 81,000 people from across the globe applied to take part in the competition. All in all, 456 individuals were chosen to don the famous green tracksuits and associate themselves with a number in place of their name. Netflix gave a breakdown of where the 456 competitors hailed from, with the high majority being from Western English-speaking countries. More than half were American, while around 100 lived in the United Kingdom.
There was representation from more than a dozen other international locations, including Brazil, Singapore, Japan, South Africa, and The Philippines. Most of the players were in their 20s (173) or 30s (139). There were also 63 people in their 40s, 51 in their 50s, 25 in their 60s, and five in their 70s — 53.4% were men, 46.4% were women, and 0.2% identified as non-binary.
Tayo, better known as player No. 107 on Squid Game: The Challenge, shared his experience with the casting process in a YouTube video. Tayo said a friend had forwarded him an advertisement on Instagram calling for people to apply for the show. “I did like a little one-minute video just saying, ‘Put me in the show. I want to win it,’ all of this,” he recounted. “And then [I] got a call back the next day, and after a couple interviews later — a lot of phone calls and Zoom call interviews — I managed to get the gig.”
The casting process lasted around two to three months, Tayo said. “I managed to get it,” he continued. “I’m super grateful. Again, I think about 90,000 people applied. So, to be one of those 90,000, that was insane.”
Squid Game: The Challenge was filmed in January 2023 in England. The main filming location was The Wharf Studios in London, but the game began at Cardington Studios, a 55-meter-tall building in Bedford (just north of London) where the opening challenge “Red Light, Green Light” was filmed.
The reality competition was shot in 16 days, and its first five episodes were released on Nov. 22, 2023. The next four become available on Nov. 29, and the finale will begin streaming on Dec. 6.