Netflix has been sued over Squid Game by actor and producer, Sohum Shah – as he claims the streaming site stole the plot line from his 2009 film titled, Luck.
The South Korean dystopian series first aired in 2021 – and has since become Netflix’s most-watched show. A second season is slated to premiere later this year on December 26.
However, in a lawsuit obtained by TMZ on Friday, Shah claimed that the streaming site took the premise from his Hindi-language action thriller – which he both wrote and directed.
The premise of Luck is: ‘An underworld kingpin recruits people endowed with “Luck” from across the globe to take part in a series of challenges designed to test their “Luck” factor, as gamblers around the world bet on them,’ per an IMDB synopsis.
Similar to Squid Game, ‘desperate’ characters agree to complete in the game, but losing a challenge results in death – which also increases the amount of money that could be won at the end of the competition for those still alive.
Netflix has been sued over Squid Game by actor and producer, Sohum Shah, as he claims the streaming site stole the plot line from his 2009 film titled, Luck; the series seen above in 2021
Rich ‘gamblers’ watch the contestants compete in grueling games – also like the Netflix show.
Shah claimed in the lawsuit that he wrote the screenplay for Luck in 2006, and the movie was later released in theaters in 2009 in countries such as India, the United States, the U.K. and the UAE.
Sohum also claimed that the writer of Squid Game, Hwang Dong-hyuk, said he wrote the show in 2009 – the same year Luck was officially released.
Along with Netflix, Shah is also suing Dong-hyuk.
In the lawsuit, the producer stated that the streaming site would have been able to see Luck when it was first released due to having ‘considerable advertising and marketing.’
Following the global success of Squid Game, Netflix raked in around a whopping $900 million increase in market value.
Shah reportedly is requesting for a portion of the value – and is also aiming to prevent the streaming site from ‘infringing’ on his copyright to Luck, per TMZ.
Squid Game aired in September 2021 on Netflix, and along with becoming the streaming site’s most-watched show, the series notably garnered 1.65 billion viewing hours in just the first four weeks alone.
However, in a lawsuit obtained by TMZ on Friday, Shah claimed that the streaming site took the premise from his Hindi-language action thriller – which he both wrote and directed
Sohum also claimed that the writer of Squid Game, Hwang Dong-hyuk, had said he wrote the show in 2009 – the same year Luck was officially released. Along with Netflix, Shah is also suing Dong-hyuk; seen in 2012 in Toronto
Also in the lawsuit, the producer stated that the streaming site would have been able to see Luck when it was first released due to having ‘considerable advertising and marketing’
The premise is: ‘Hundreds of cash-strapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children’s games. Inside, a tempting prize awaits with deadly high stakes: a survival game that has a whopping 45.6 billion-won prize at stake,’ per IMDB.
The series also raked in numerous awards after receiving positive reception from both critics and fans.
Squid Game received three Golden Globe nominations – with O Yeong-su winning for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series.
The show also garnered four SAG nods, winning three: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Stunt Ensemble in a TV series.
Other awards that Squid Game also earned included two Emmys, two Critics’ Choice Television Awards as well as one People’s Choice Awards.
The show has been renewed for two additional seasons, with the second slated to air on December 26 of this year.
The third and final season doesn’t have a set release date – but is projected to premiere sometime in 2025.
Netflix co-CEO, Ted Sarandos, paid a visit to the set of Squid Game amid its season two production in South Korea earlier this year.
Sarandos expressed in a statement shared to Netflix’s website which read: ‘I couldn’t visit Korea without experiencing the production of one of our most anticipated shows of 2024 – the second season of Squid Game.’
The show has been renewed for two additional seasons, with the second slated to air on December 26 of this year
He continued, ‘While I can’t share any spoilers, I can say the new games will blow your mind, and I was thrilled by the scale of the sets.’
‘Director Hwang’s vision is such a powerful example of how Korean – and non-English titles – can be locally authentic while finding new international audiences on Netflix.’
Ted added, ‘It was also my honor to meet President Yoon, together with Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae, to reaffirm our commitment to the industry and to the next generation of Korean creatives.’
‘We are investing significantly in Korea, and believe that working with best-in-class local industry partners is only the beginning…’