Netflix has responded to tabloid claims surrounding the production of its upcoming Squid Game reality series spin-off.
As you may or may not have seen in recent days depending on your tolerance for articles of the tabloid variety, claims have surfaced regarding less-than-ideal conditions amid the series production in the U.K. British tabloids The Sun and The Mirror, for example, have both claimed that freezing temperatures during a round of Red Light, Green Light led to a contestant being taken away on a stretcher.
Worth pointing out again, of course, is that initial claims stemmed from the tabloid side of the universe. At any rate, Netflix and series co-producers Studio Lambert and The Garden have now addressed such claims. In a report shared early Wednesday, Deadline cited a statement from all three in which the “very cold” temperatures were acknowledged while more serious claims were repudiated.
Namely, the statement said, “any claims of serious injury are untrue.”
When reached for comment by Complex on Wednesday, a rep for Netflix shared the same excerpted statement in full. Read it below.
“We care deeply about the health and safety of our cast and crew, and invested in all the appropriate safety procedures. While it was very cold on set – and participants were prepared for that – any claims of serious injury are untrue.”
Also on Wednesday, Variety (not a tabloid) shared a report stating that “fewer than five players” are alleged to have utilized medics on the set. One such contestant, according to their report, hurt their shoulder. The rest, allegedly, were treated for what was reported as “mild ailments.”
A source close to the production tells Complex that no one was taken off the set on a stretcher. Additionally, the source confirmed that one person did hurt their shoulder from running into a wall. Three others, meanwhile, were treated for “mild medical conditions.” There were no additional injuries on the set, the source added.
As previously revealed by Netflix, the reality competition spin-off will see 456 players entering the show with the potential of winning $4.56 million by competing in a series of games inspired by the hit series. In September, Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk addressed “concerns” some had raised about the spin-off and revealed he had met with the some of the team behind the new Netflix project.
