Why Netflix Is Being Sued Over Squid Game

When Netflix first premiered "Squid Game" back in 2021, the Korean drama was an instant success. In it, a group of down-on-their-luck contestants agree to participate in a competition with tasks revolving around popular childhood games, where the winner has the chance to take home a massive prize. Of course, the losers are executed on the spot, so to say that the stakes are high is probably underselling things a bit. A not-so-subtle metaphor for capitalism, the competitors put their lives on the line against incredible odds in pursuit of the almighty dollar (or won, in this case).

Upon its streaming premiere, "Squid Game" was one of Netflix's most watched series. It raked in Emmy nominations, becoming the first non-English language show to be nominated for best drama series, while star Lee Jung-jae won the award for best lead actor in a drama series. "Squid Game" was renewed for a second and third season, which will hit Netflix in December 2024 and mid-2025, respectively.

But now, despite its success, "Squid Game" is facing a plagiarism lawsuit just three months before its second season is due to be released. Director Soham Shah is claiming that the plot of the popular Netflix show was stolen from his 2009 Hindi-language film, "Luck."

According to Soham Shah, the storyline of "Squid Game" bears a striking — and he would say suspicious — resemblance to "Luck." His 2009 film also revolved around a large group of individuals in poverty who are enticed to participate in a mysterious competition, only to discover after the games begin that death awaits all of those who fail. "Luck" also featured the presence of the wealthy classes, who not only watched the games but gambled on their outcome. It was released on 1,150 screens across India, and 150 additional screens around the world. 

In addition to suing writer Hwang Dong-hyuk for allegedly plagiarising his work, Shah is also suing Netflix, as he argues that they would have had access to view "Luck" when it was initially released, and could therefore have taken ideas from it when they made "Squid Game." "The main plot, characters, themes, mood, setting and sequence of events of Squid Game are strikingly similar to that of Luck, defying any likelihood that such similarities could be coincidence," said Shah in his complaint, as reported by India Today. For its part, Netflix responded quickly, saying, "This claim has no merit. Squid Game was created by and written by Hwang Dong Hyuk and we intend to defend this matter vigorously."

When "Squid Game" became a confirmed success right out of the gate, Netflix wasted no time in putting out a reality spin-off of the show called "Squid Game: The Challenge," which aired in November 2023. Although the eliminated players weren't actually killed, like they were on the real "Squid Game," rumors began to circulate that the show was nonetheless exploiting its contestants by having them film in unsafe conditions. In February 2023, Rolling Stone reported several contestants stepping forward to speak out about their experiences on set, which they claimed to be not only rigged, but actually dangerous. "It was just the cruelest, meanest thing I've ever been through," one participant said. "We were a human horse race, and they were treating us like horses out in the cold racing and [the race] was fixed." 

They further alleged that one game required them to spend hours in an unheated hangar, and that medics were required to treat individuals who experienced negative effects from the extreme cold. In November 2023, Netflix was threatened with a lawsuit seeking damages for contestants who claimed that they "suffered injuries such as hypothermia and nerve damage as a result of poor health and safety standards on set," as reported by India Today. As of September 2024, however, it does not seem as though any lawsuit has been officially filed.