- A personal injury firm says contestants of "Squid Game: The Challenge" suffered injuries.
- The firm claims injuries include nerve damage and hypothermia.
- The Netflix show sees 456 people compete for $4.56 million in a real-life version of the hit show, "Squid Game."
Contestants of the reality show "Squid Game: The Challenge" are threatening to sue producers over injuries they sustained during competition, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
British personal injury firm Express Solicitors said on Thursday it is representing contestants of the show — which is based on the hit Netflix Korean drama "Squid Game" — who say they suffered injuries including hypothermia and nerve damage as a result of poor safety standards on set.
"Production companies need to ensure that health and safety standards on their shows don't leave people at risk of harm," Express Solicitors CEO Daniel Sade said in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, adding that the firm sent claim letters on behalf of injured contestants and that the show "pushed the boundaries of safety in the name of entertainment."
The personal injury firm is currently representing two contestants and is in communications with others who may have been injured, The Hollywood Reporter said.
Anonymous contestants have previously been quoted in news articles sharing their experience of filming an episode that took several hours in freezing winter conditions. It was like a "warzone," according to one contestant.
"People were getting carried out by medics, but we couldn't say anything. If you talk, then you're out," the person told The Sun.
In a response to The Hollywood Reporter, executive produce John Hay said that "welfare and safety are obviously paramount for us," adding that the show has taken "appropriate measures" to keep people safe.
"The particular criticism you're talking about was centered around the filming of 'Red Light, Green Light'," Hay said. "That was a big, complicated shoot, and it was a cold day, and it took quite a long time. 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."
Netflix just dropped the first five episodes of "Squid Game: The Challenge," where 456 contestants as they compete in real-life "Squid Game"-inspired challenges in order to win $4.56 million. The first season will be released in three batches, with the second two installments going live on November 29 and December 6, respectively.
Unlike the television show, "Squid Game: The Challenge" contestants aren't killed; they're just taken out of the competition. Game show contestants are differnt ages, sizes, and races, like the television show, and the last person standing after a varity of games wins $4.65 million the largest prize in reality TV history, according to Deadline.
The show was filmed in the UK.
Netflix did not immediately reply to Business Insider's request for comment.
Disclosure: Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member.
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