Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s one thing absolutely nobody can deny, it’s that Netflix’s ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ transforms the nearly eponymous South Korean series into the biggest reality competition show ever. After all, it revolves around 456 strangers from across the globe as they come together to face one another in a myriad of fun contests for a chance to walk away with a grand prize of $4.56 million.
Though if we’re being honest, the most intriguing aspect of this production is the almost identical series of games the players navigate, with the major difference being that the stakes aren’t life or death. So, of course, it has naturally made us wonder precisely how accurate all the sets as well as uniforms utilized here are when compared to the Hwang Dong-Hyuk-created, record-breaking original drama.
The Sets and Uniforms of Squid Game: The Challenge Are Replicated to Match the Original
First things first, while the principal photography of ‘Squid Game’ spanned Daejeon and Ongjin in South Korea, ‘Squid Game: The Challenge‘ seasons 1 and 2 were both filmed across two studios in Bedford and London, England. They’re thus not technically the same, yet it has since been revealed that the producers of the latter actually contacted those on the original to ensure their backdrops were identical in every way — whether wall designs, room sizes, dorm settings, or colors, they were all carefully followed per season.
In fact, it appears as if designers also kept these aspects in mind while planning how to set up the new games to feature in this show, especially since there’s a color and style pattern to it all. It’s hence no surprise that when Hwang Dong-Hyuk visited the sets of this spin-off during season 1, alongside surprise guest Anupam Tripathi (aka Ali Abdul, player 199), he was utterly blown away.
“They actually wanted to build the set exactly like the original set from the original show,” Hwang told Anupam during their tour. “They asked us a lot of questions about how we built and also blueprints. Every detail about the set. Look at those beds; exactly the same as in our set… This set kind of makes me [feel] like I have to do a better job… in season two. I have to top this set.”
Hwang then went on to compliment the game rooms too, noting that their sizes and the paintings were identical to his decor — the sole difference, if he had to pinpoint, was the mural sizes. He also openly appreciated the complex Marbles stage by stating, “We are on the set. Back in the ‘Squid Game.’ … Wow, look at the details. They even match the color and the shape of the gate.”
Coming to the uniforms, considering the fact that UK-based Rikki Finlay has been credited as the official costume designer in ‘Squid Game: The Challenge,’ we assume they are a different source altogether. However, the clothes are eerily similar for both contestants and guards — from color tones to silhouette cuts to the “X” and “O” velcro designs to socks and shoes, it all appears to be an exact duplicate of the original. The sole difference we could pinpoint was the fact that the guards do not carry weapons. We actually say “sole” because even the players’ steel water battles with their numbers on them, plus the dormitory beddings match the ones we see in ‘Squid Game.’
Read More: Do Contestants Get Paid to be on Squid Game The Challenge?
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