Two contestants on a new reality competition released on Netflix Wednesday, based on the popular 2021 “Squid Game” show, are reportedly threatening to bring legal action over injuries they say they sustained on set during filming last January.
The two players on “Squid Game: The Challenge” claimed they suffered injuries, including hypothermia and nerve damage, according to a press release by the law firm representing the two participants obtained by HuffPost.
Daniel Slade, the CEO of Express Solicitors, the U.K.-based law firm representing the two players, claimed his clients “had to stay motionless for hours in cold temperatures while filming.”
Slade added that they have sent letters of claim to Studio Lambert, a company who co-produced the Netflix show, accusing them of not adhering to high health and safety standards on set.
“We recognise people may see this as a classic ‘David and Goliath’ battle with the company and its production partners,” Slade said. “Contestants thought they were taking part in something fun and those injured did not expect to suffer as they did.”
The participants, according to Deadline, specifically took issue with “Red Light, Green Light,” filmed in Bedford, England, where they had to cross a path without being noticed by a robot doll. Earlier this year, Netflix acknowledged that three of 456 people received medical attention after participating in that game.
A spokesperson for the show said “no lawsuit has been filed by any of the Squid Game contestants,” according to multiple news outlets.
“We take the welfare of our contestants extremely seriously,” they added.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published Wednesday, which did not address the letters of claim, John Hay, a Studio Lambert executive producer, addressed reports that the participants were put through tough conditions during the challenges, saying they took all “appropriate measures” to ensure the safety of players.
Stephen Lambert, a fellow executive producer at the company, told the outlet that while he acknowledged there were challenging moments during the show, “We’re giving away the largest prize in TV competition history. It wasn’t going to be a walk in the park to win $4.56 million.”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article stated that Netflix confirmed that 456 people received medical attention after participating in “Red Light, Green Light.” It was actually three of 456 participants.