By Variety | Created at 2024-11-25 21:39:47 | Updated at 2024-11-27 06:50:26
1 day ago
MrBeast is the ringmaster for a “Squid Game”-style winner-take-all battle for $5 million in his forthcoming “Beast Games” show for Amazon’s Prime Video.
“Beast Games” will premiere Dec. 19, exclusively on Prime Video. On Monday, MrBeast — the massively popular YouTuber whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson — posted a teaser trailer for the show on X. “I spent over a year creating this 10 episode competition series, breaking 40 world records, building the craziest sets in entertainment history, featuring 1,000 players, and a $5,000,000 grand prize!” MrBeast wrote. “I poured everything I have into this show, I’ll see you December 19th on @PrimeVideo! 🙂”
The teaser trailer for “Beast Games” shows participants outfitted in blue track suits — each emblazoned with their contestant numbers — reminiscent of Netflix’s South Korean hit “Squid Game.” In a nod to the pink guards in “Squid Game,” the “Beast Games” features assistants outfitted in all-black, face-covering suits. The teaser indicates challenges will involve monster trucks, a pirate ship and jumping out of a helicopter. (Incidentally, Season 2 of “Squid Game” premieres Dec. 26 on Netflix.)
“Start the timer!” MrBeast yells at the start of the teaser, as the camera reveals contestants standing on individual, neon-illuminated platforms in an arena.
MrBeast has taken a crack at copying “Squid Game” before: His most-viewed video on YouTube to date is his 2021 reenactment of the Netflix show, which replicated elimination challenges from series and awarded the winner $456,000.
In the “Beast Games” teaser, Donaldson also is seen high-fiving contestants — but not everyone who participated in the show came away feeling positive about the experience.
In September, a lawsuit against MrBeast, his production company and Amazon was filed on behalf of five unnamed contestants who were in the first round of the “Beast Games” shooting. The lawsuit alleges the participants were deprived of medical care, food, sleep and “the necessities of basic hygiene”; that they were not paid minimum wages and overtime; and that they were subjected to sexual harassment and “dangerous circumstances and conditions.” (Reps for Amazon and MrBeast have declined to comment on the lawsuit.)
The first round of the show, with more than 2,000 contestants, was shot July 18-22 at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium. The 1,000 participants who made it through the Las Vegas competition moved on to the next round, shot in Toronto in August.
In announcing the greenlight for the show earlier this year, Amazon touted it as “the world’s largest live gameshow” with the “biggest single prize in the history of television and streaming.”
Donaldson, 26, currently has over 332 million subscribers to his main YouTube channel, the most of any individual creator. MrBeast has garnered a massive fanbase through his videos featuring outrageous stunts and big-money giveaways.
Watch the teaser trailer for “Beast Games”:
