Here's How To Apply For Netflix’s Squid Game Reality Show

It took 12 years for Hwang Dong-hyuk to get Squid Game made and 12 days for the show to become the biggest series in Netflix history. Once the first season blew up, a second season was a solid bet, and Netflix recently announced Squid Game Season 2 indeed got the ~green light~. But fans couldn’t have possibly guess that the streaming service would attempt to stage its own real-life version of the show — and yet that’s exactly what’s happening. And if you’re into it, you can apply for Netflix’s Squid Game reality show and live out your most demented dreams.

For those who couldn’t stomach watching the original series because the horror was just too much, the titular Squid Game from the show is a contest made up of 456 players who risk their lives to play deadly games for the chance to win ₩45.6 billion. (That’s $38 million in U.S. dollars.) Upon arrival, those competing discover that losing doesn’t just mean being ejected from the game; it’s ritual slaughter. But hey, for every contestant body buried, the pot increases by ₩100 million ($77,500).

Sounds fun, right? Netflix thinks so, anyway. On June 14, Netflix announced Squid Game: The Challenge, a reality competition series, and it’s currently casting 456 real players to compete for the largest jackpot in television history: $4.56 million U.S. dollars.

Assuming being ejected from the game is not a one-way ticket to six feet under, it’s likely many fans will want to apply to win this prize. And you can! Netflix has set up a website and is taking applications right now. There are three portals — one for U.S. casting, one for U.K. casting, and one for global casting. Only one catch: According to Netflix’s announcement, the Front Man is searching for English language speakers only, although contestants can be from any part of the world.

Applicants must be 21 or older, have a passport (which suggests filming is not in the U.S., but that’s not confirmed), and must be available for up to four weeks for filming “currently anticipated to be in early 2023.” (You also can’t work for Netflix or be directly related to someone who is.) The application includes a one-minute video stating why you want to compete, a headshot, and a full-length photo.

For those who would rather just watch the series — rather than participate — it will be a 10-episode competition produced for Netflix by the same people who are behind Netflix’s hit reality series The Circle. As part of the new show’s announcement, Netflix’s VP of unscripted and documentary series, Brandon Riegg, said, “Fans of the drama series are in for a fascinating and unpredictable journey as our 456 real-world contestants navigate the biggest competition series ever, full of tension and twists, with the biggest ever cash prize at the end.”