YouTuber Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson is going to recreate Netflix's Squid Game in real life. I imagine you'll be pelted with a tomato if you lose rather than, you know, actually dying.
Squid Game is a sensation - so much so that an actual streamer with the name "Squid Game" got tonnes and tonnes of messages from fans who thought she was the show's official account. The South Korean survival drama show has captivated audiences across the world with its tension, sharp social commentary and terrifyingly simple games.
The premise is that 456 random people are drawn to participate in a set of strange playground games to win a $39 million prize. What they don't realise is that if they fail the games, they'll be killed.
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Even if you've not caught up on the show, you'll likely recognise the giant animatronic girl who plays Red Light, Green Light with the contestants, swivelling her head round on her shoulders to spot the people who didn't stand still. So, the prospect of the games being brought into reality is a weird one, though I'm sure Donaldson has a whole pile of health and safety forms to fill out for it.
Fans have beaten the YouTuber to the punch by building the brutal games in Animal Crossing, Minecraft, Fortnite and Roblox. Check it out here!
Donaldson is known for his altruism so this is an interesting pivot for the content creator. Also, I feel like it sort of cheapens the terror that the participants underwent as they didn't know whether they would make it out of these twisted games. A video game that's very much inspired by Squid Game is apparently in development, though the studio behind the project is not known at the moment.
Earlier this year, Donaldson hit the headlines but it wasn't for one of his famed acts of philanthropy. Speaking to The New York Times, a handful of former collaborators described a "difficult work environment" and "unreasonable demands" under his management. "If you are posturing yourself as a business leader or the next Elon Musk, you should think about the type of work culture you're creating and what you are rewarding," said one.
Featured Image Credit: Netflix