The Squid Game has been a worldwide sensation ever since Netflix released it in September. Its success has been remarkably instantly, even setting trends and memes all over the internet.
Even in Lebanon, where some are trying to recreate it in real life.
The961 tracked down the people behind the Instagram page that is inviting the Lebanese to “live the thrilling experience [of Squid Game] with your friends” and found out that the initiative comes from a group of 5 childhood friends.
These enthusiasts of the show, who are trying to recreate it in real life in Lebanon, are Salim Zeinedeen, Imad Jama, Majdi Boufakhredeen, Walid Jamal, and Alaa Faisal.
Having fallen in love with the series, as they told us, they want the Lebanese to enjoy it as well in real life, giving them something fun and exciting to divert their mind from the hard times they’re facing.
They have received a lot of interactions and requests for reservations, which indicates immense interest in the public.
The preparations are taking some time, though, as they want the game to be as memorable and safe as possible for all participants.
The Game
Competitors sharing in the games will go through the 6 challenges seen in the show.
Starting with Green-Light Red-Light, where competitors have to run to the finish line when the music starts playing, and must not move when the music stops.
Then, they will do the Sugar Honey Comb challenge, where they will select random cases containing honeycombs with shapes engraved in them, then cut out the shapes without breaking or cracking them.
Following that is a classic tug-of-war game where two teams pull a rope, and the team that pulls the opponents’ leader past the mark wins.
The way the rest of the games (Marbles, Bridge, and one last mystery game) is to be announced soon on the page.
This group is not the only one in Lebanon trying to recreate Squid Game in real life.
Lebanese Youtuber Kamal Nehme has already launched one of the show’s games with 54 people competing for the fun of it, although a certain prize was involved.
The show that’s taking the world by storm
Squid Game has turned out to be Netflix’s biggest series launch yet, with over 111 million fans watching the show. It is also the number 1 show in Netflix’s history.
A lot of people have been sharing online trends inspired by the show, such as the Honey Comb challenge. Tiktok has even added a filter of the latter challenge.
The show itself revolves around 455 players, all of whom are in debt, sharing in children’s games with high stakes; their lives.
The challenges in the show come from popular kids games in Korea, like green-light red-light, where the competitors have to run to a line without being spotted by a robot.
The creator of the game, Seoul-born Hwang Dong-hyuk, told Variety magazine that he wanted Squid Game to depict an extreme competition, similar to the extreme life competition we see every day.
He also told the magazine that he himself was facing financial difficulties when he wrote Squid Game.
The show launched its creator to immense success, with a net worth estimated to be around $5 million, and expected to increase.
However, Squid Game isn’t his first work. Some of his previous movies such as “Silenced” had their fair share of success in Korea.
