LONDON: Netflix said on Wednesday that it is planning to roll out a reality competition show based on the hit series “Squid Game” with a $4.56 million prize and creepy challenges.
“Squid Game: The Challenge” will feature 456 participants competing in a series of games inspired by the show for a chance to win the largest lump sum jackpot in the history of reality TV.
“Squid Game” was viewed by 1.65 billion people in the first 28 days of its release in September last year, making it the most popular show in the platform’s history.
“As (players) compete through a series of games inspired by the original show, plus surprising new additions, their strategies, alliances and character will be put to the test while competitors are eliminated around them,” Netflix said in a statement.
Elements of the fictional drama will be incorporated into the new reality show. However, it will not be a life-or-death matter, as depicted in the South Korean dystopian show.
In its statement, Brandon Reigg, Netflix’s vice president of documentary series, said the reality show will draw on director Hwang Dong-hyuk’s “captivating story and iconic imagery,” adding that the company was grateful for his support in developing “Squid Game: The Challenge.”
Netflix also announced earlier this week that the series will be renewed for a second season
Recruits in the new contest show are required to speak English, must be at least 21, and will have to be available for up to four weeks in early 2023 for filming.
The number of 456 participants is significant as it follows the exact number of players in the original series, with principal character Seong Gi-hun being the 456th player.
The South Korean thriller tells the story of heavily indebted people who compete to win a cash prize in a life-threatening series of children-themed games.
Hwang said in a statement : “It took 12 years to bring the first season of ‘Squid Game’ to life last year. But it took 12 days for ‘Squid Game’ to become the most popular Netflix series ever.”
DUBAI: Disney and Pixar’s latest movie “Lightyear,” which was slated for a June 16 release, has been banned in the UAE — one of the most liberal countries in the Arab World — over content, including a same-sex intimate scene.
Around 14 other countries across the Middle East and Asia, including Lebanon, Egypt, Kuwait and Malaysia have also banned the film.
The Media Regulatory Office announced that the animated film Lightyear, which is scheduled for release on 16th June, is not licensed for public screening in all cinemas in the UAE, due to its violation of the country’s media content standards. pic.twitter.com/f3iYwXqs1D
While Saudi Arabian media authorities have not yet released an official statement, the UAE’s Media Regulatory Office said that the film would be banned for violating the “country’s media content standards.”
According to industry magazine Variety, “Lightyear” was never submitted to censors in Saudi Arabia, presumably because the producers assumed that it would not pass.
The actual reason for the controversy surrounding the film is believed to be one scene that features a same-sex kiss between the character of Alisha Hawthorne and her female partner — a scene that almost did not make it into the film.
On March 9, LGBTQ+ employees and campaigners at Pixar Animation Studios sent a joint statement to Walt Disney Co. leadership claiming that Disney executives had actively censored “overtly gay affection” in its feature films, reported Variety. According to a source close to the production, the report added, the kiss scene had been cut from the film but was reinstated after the letter.
In a widely shared video report, Saudi state-news channel Al-Ekhbariya went on a hunt for toys carrying the rainbow flag targeting Saudi children.
The reporter in the video asks: “Why do film producers, such as Disney, insist on not removing a scene with a same-sex kiss that only lasts a few seconds? And why do they risk upsetting a whole market which clearly doesn’t support this?”
While the ban has been met with backlash from potential audiences, there are also ardent supporters.
“Umm Lilly,” a Saudi citizen who has a 9-year-old daughter, said she was confused at what she should let her watch.
She told Arab News: “I don’t even know where to start. I want my daughter to paint and color rainbows and watch Disney movies. Simple innocence — there doesn’t need to be subliminal messages in them, she is just a child.”
As some Twitter users pointed, out there are massive cultural differences between Western and Middle Eastern and Asian countries — differences that should be respected, especially by a corporation as big and influential as Disney.
US and the western’s culture aren’t the only culture in the world. Respect the difference. You are talking about “diversity” all the time, but you cannot take any opinions that are different from yours. Isn’t it ironic?
“There are subjects which are very sensitive to populations in the region, and I expect that this will become more commonplace as global content producers share ideas that are not supported or advocated for within the Middle East,” Alex Malouf, a communications professional, told Arab News.
However, according to one advisor to a number of Saudi government media committees, such analysis by what he describes as so-called media experts and Twitter users is both “shallow and out of touch.”
The media advisor told Arab News: “First of all, the issue is not just about a same-sex kiss. The issue with most censors in the Arab World and beyond is the overarching theme of normalizing same-sex relations or transgender issues to children who are not old enough to fully grasp the facts and then make up their own minds.
“So-called media experts or the average Twitter users who argue Disney should be more sensitive because the Arab or Muslim world has different values are both shallow and out of touch with the reality happening in America itself.
“There is a recent study that showed that up to 70 percent of Americans oppose Disney’s woke agenda; there has been a huge trend among US citizens to cancel their Disney+ subscriptions and to many non-Arab, non-Muslim families, Disney is no longer a safe platform for their children,” he concluded, adding that this shows the heated debate over Disney’s content is not exclusive to the MENA region.
The Saudi media advisor’s comments hold true, particularly in the US.
The recent study he referred to was done by the Trafalgar Group, an opinion polling and survey company, which showed that nearly 70 percent of Americans disapproved of Disney’s LGBTQ+ agenda and are unlikely to do business with the company.
Just two days ago, a campaign slamming Disney erected a huge billboard in New York City’s Times Square titled “No Mouse In My House.”
The campaign, Rock the Woke, calls for people to boycott Disney for their “leftist political ideology that has nothing to do with entertaining children and families.”
Meanwhile in Florida, a bill preventing education on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through to third grade was passed in March.
The bill was strongly opposed by LGBTQ+ advocates and entertainment industry professionals, not to mention Democrat politicians and even the White House.
Disney, however, chose to remain silent. Its employees, though, took to social media to express their outrage and even walked out of offices across the US in retaliation to CEO Bob Chapek’s lack of response.
The company’s position on the bill — or lack of — seemed curious given that there are tens of thousands of Disney employees in Florida, home to Disney’s largest theme park and resort in the world.
Various films have already been banned or censored in the Middle East. Marvel’s “Eternals” was heavily edited, to cut out scenes of same-sex relationships in Lebanon, and banned from screening across cinemas in the UAE and Kuwait.
Films such as “West Side Story” and “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” were also banned in various countries across the region, including the UAE, for including trans and homosexual characters.
The UAE later removed the ban on “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” opting instead for a 21+ rating.
LONDON: The British government has ordered the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States to face spying charges. WikiLeaks said it would appeal. Home Secretary Priti Patel signed the extradition order on Friday, her department said. It follows a British court ruling in April that Assange could be sent to the US over WikiLeaks’ publication of a huge trove of classified documents more than a decade ago. The Home Office said in a statement that “the UK courts have not found that it would be oppressive, unjust or an abuse of process to extradite Mr. Assange.” “Nor have they found that extradition would be incompatible with his human rights, including his right to a fair trial and to freedom of expression, and that whilst in the US he will be treated appropriately, including in relation to his health.” The decision is a big moment in Assange’s years-long battle to avoid facing trial in the US — though not necessarily the end of the tale. Assange has 14 days to appeal. The US has asked British authorities to extradite Assange so he can stand trial on 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse. American prosecutors say Assange unlawfully helped U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal classified diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks later published, putting lives at risk. “Today is not the end of the fight. It is only the beginning of a new legal battle,” said Assange's wife, Stella Assange. She said the UK decision marked “a dark day for press freedom and for British democracy.” “Julian did nothing wrong,” she said. “He has committed no crime and is not a criminal. He is a journalist and a publisher, and he is being punished for doing his job.” A British judge approved the extradition in April, leaving the final decision to the government. The ruling came after a legal battle that went all the way to the UK Supreme Court. Journalism organizations and human rights groups have called on Britain to refuse the extradition request. Supporters and lawyers for Assange, 50, argue that he was acting as a journalist and is entitled to First Amendment protections of freedom of speech for publishing documents that exposed US military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. They argue that his case is politically motivated. Assange’s lawyers say he could face up to 175 years in jail if he is convicted in the US, though American authorities have said any sentence is likely to be much lower than that. Assange has been held at Britain’s high-security Belmarsh Prison in London since 2019, when he was arrested for skipping bail during a separate legal battle. Before that, he spent seven years inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden to face allegations of rape and sexual assault. Sweden dropped the sex crimes investigations in November 2019 because so much time had elapsed.
DUBAI: “As we settle into the post-pandemic era, we see clear indicators that audio, in all its forms, has become a platform for self-expression for both artists and creators,” Claudius Boller, the managing director for Spotify in the Middle East and Africa, told Arab News.
“Socializing through music will continue to see an uptick in demand,” he added, especially for younger audiences who crave connection, even more so in the aftermath of the pandemic.
One illustration of this is the popularity of Lyrics, a feature added to the Spotify app last year in partnership with lyrics provider Musixmatch. It inspired many users, especially in Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East and North Africa region, to create memes and other posts that used song lyrics to express their thoughts and feelings, and share them on social media.
It is not something the company expected to happen but it was pleasantly surprised by it. Social media engagement in the Arab region is very high but, more importantly, young audiences are finding increasingly creative ways to explore digital platforms, Boller said.
“So we feel like we need to give certain tools (to them) and then just see what they do with it,” he added.
Spotify has, therefore, introduced a host of new features “that demonstrate our current focus on being a platform for creative exchange between fans and creators,” Boller said.
The first is a foray into the metaverse. With Spotify Island, it is the first music-streaming service to have a presence on Roblox, the gaming platform and game-creation system.
“The interactive world of Spotify Island on Roblox will serve as a meeting place for fans and artists to play, explore and connect — all with the goal of bringing artists and fans from all over the world closer together,” said Boller.
Users can explore the island completing quests, discovering music and buying merchandise.
“We’re creating an easy opportunity for artists to connect with fans and to partner with Spotify on the creation of in-game virtual merchandise,” he said. “This is just the beginning.”
The platform plans to continue to enhance the Spotify Island experience through the addition of new features and partnerships. For example, it has already launched K-Park, a section of the island dedicated to the K-pop genre.
In K-Park, fans have the opportunity to interact with Korean music superstars such as Stray Kids and Sunmi, for example by taking part in meet and greets with the artists’ avatars, buying virtual merchandise, and having the opportunity to get a hold of virtual signed memorabilia.
Boller explained that Spotify chose K-pop as its first genre to focus on “for many reasons, including its widespread global appeal, dedicated fan following, and unique set of cultural elements that reach far beyond music.”
In the MENA region, there was a 138 percent year-on-year increase in K-pop consumption between 2019 and 2021. In Saudi Arabia, the increase was 98 percent.
A post shared by Spotify السعودية (@spotifyksa)
Spotify does not currently have any plans to launch a Middle Eastern hub on Spotify Island but it is in conversation with several artists from the region.
“We’re looking more into genres and fandoms versus regions at this stage but this is just the beginning; we’re really just laying the groundwork for a lot of opportunities,” Boller said.
Other new Spotify developments in the past few months included an expansion of its Blend feature in the form of the launch of Group Blend and Celebrity Blend. The original Blend feature allowed two users to match their music tastes and create a shared playlist. Group Blend allows up to 10 people match with each other, while Celebrity Blend gives users a chance to match with public figures.
“Spotify’s Blend feature combines the best personalization capabilities and collaborative playlist functionality into a single shared playlist,” said Boller.
It also generates “share cards” that reveal the extent to which users’ tastes match, and these can be shared on social media in keeping with Spotify’s efforts to enable and encourage socializing through music.
The feature also offers a potential revenue stream for the company. On Star Wars Day, May 4, for example, Spotify partnered with the sci-fi franchise to give users the chance to use the Blend feature to match with famous characters such as Yoda, Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and Princess Leia, and create a shared playlist.
You can now Blend with some of your favorite @starwars characters. ✨ https://t.co/mHoUldwpiM #MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/CFzi79mhLV
The platform is now open to the idea of exploring similar partnerships with regional film franchises and TV shows.
Most recently, Spotify launched Clips, which allows listeners to watch exclusive messages and stories from artists posted in the form of videos — the equivalent of Instagram Stories on a Spotify playlist.
“With Spotify Clips, artists can share intimate moments with their fans and further bring their art to life, express their vision and their story to their fans, ultimately helping artists connect with their fans in a deeper, more meaningful way,” said Boller.
Clips was launched as part of a campaign dedicated to spotlighting the hip-hop scene in Egypt, during which Spotify rebranded its leading Egyptian rap playlist, Melouk El Scene. Listeners can now watch exclusive video messages from artists such as Dareen, Abo El-Anwar, Perrie, Afroto and Marwan Moussa.
Spotify said that “socialization and interactivity through music” lie at the heart of its efforts and this is of particular importance in the Middle East. Saudis, for example, “are up to speed with both local and international trends,” said Boller. They have diverse tastes in music, listening to a range of genres from local folk music, such as Sheilat, to trending global hits, he added.
“We keep a close eye on how Saudis engage with our platform through our machine learning but also through our music team, who keep their fingers on the pulse of culture,” said Boller. “Taking (what we learn) we ensure that every initiative or campaign we run connects with our target audience in Saudi Arabia.”