‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ threatened with lawsuit over alleged injuries to contestants

Their claims: Express Solicitors, a British personal injuries law firm, says that two of its clients allegedly suffered hypothermia and nerve damage while participating in the Red Light, Green Light game on the game show’s first episode.

In a press release on Thursday, Express Solicitors CEO Daniel Slade noted that the law firm had already sent legal letters on behalf of their clients to Netflix and Studio Lambert, the co-producer of the show. Slade added, “From what we’ve been told, they pushed the boundaries of safety in the name of entertainment.”

Context: The Red Light, Green Light game, which was also the first lethal game featured in 2021’s “Squid Game,” the original hit South Korean Netflix series of which the “Squid Game: The Challenge” is based on, was reportedly filmed at Cardington Studios, a hangar in the former Royal Air Force base in Bedford, north of London.

Hundreds of players participating in the game were allegedly forced to endure freezing temperatures that dropped as low as minus-3 degrees Celsius, according to reports in January. Three contestants reportedly suffered mild medical conditions and had to be treated.

An independent safety check was conducted on the set following the incident, with the country’s Health and Safety Executive finding that no further action was necessary.

More details: In a statement, Slade said that people may view the lawsuit as something like the “classic David and Goliath battle,” according to Deadline.

Slade added that the two contestants thought they were participating in a fun game and never expected to suffer, saying, “Now they have been left with injuries after spending time being stuck in painful stress positions in cold temperatures.”

Netflix’s response: A spokesperson for the Netflix game show said in a statement that no contestants have filed a lawsuit against “Squid Game: The Challenge.” The statement added, “We take the welfare of our contestants extremely seriously.”