On September 13, 2024, Bollywood director Soham Shah initiated legal action in New York, alleging that the immensely popular Netflix series Squid Game is a derivative work of his Hindi-language film Luck, which debuted on July 24, 2009.
Bloomberg reported that Shah asserted in his lawsuit:
“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.”
Shah’s claims arise just three months prior to the highly anticipated season two premiere of Squid Game, scheduled for a worldwide release on December 26, 2024.
How similar is Soham Shah’s Luck to Squid Game?
Shah’s 2009 film centers on an underworld kingpin who recruits a group of ‘lucky’ individuals from around the globe to compete in a series of tests designed to challenge their luck. As the competition unfolds, the contestants discover that the stakes are significantly higher than initially perceived, with gamblers wagering on their outcomes, turning their success into a fight for survival.
The cast of Luck includes notable actors such as Sanjay Dutt, Mithun Chakraborty, Imran Khan, Danny Denzongpa, Rati Agnihotri, and Shruti Haasan.
In his lawsuit, Shah claims he developed the story for Luck around 2006. The film enjoyed a global release in theaters across India, the United States, the UAE, and the United Kingdom in 2009. He also mentioned the show’s creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, in his complaint, alleging that he penned his script during the same period as Luck‘s release.
Shah further argues that Netflix would have gained access to his film due to its extensive advertising and marketing efforts.
Moreover, the lawsuit contends that Netflix has profited significantly by expanding the universe of Squid Game, thereby infringing on Shah’s copyrights related to his 2009 film. In November 2023, Netflix premiered a reality series titled Squid Game: The Challenge. Additionally, the streaming service has announced plans for an immersive experience based on the franchise, set to launch in October 2024.
Finally, Shah asserts that the success of the series has contributed to a staggering increase of over $900 million (£683.05 million) in Netflix’s market valuation.
In response to the lawsuit, Netflix issued a statement 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.”
What is Squid Game all about?
The dystopian survival thriller, created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, premiered on Netflix on September 17, 2021. The series features a remarkable cast including Lee Jung-jae, HoYeon Jung, Park Hae-soo, Heo Sung-tae, O Yeong-su, Anupam Tripathi, Wi Ha-joon, and Kim Joo-ryoung.
This acclaimed K-drama is centered around 456 financially struggling players who compete in a series of lethal children’s games, vying for a life-altering cash prize of ₩45.6 billion. Hwang drew inspiration for the show from his own financial hardships, using it as a critique of South Korea’s pronounced capitalism and class disparity.
Upon its release, Squid Game surged to become Netflix’s most-watched series ever, accumulating over 1.65 billion viewing hours within the first 28 days.
Moreover, Squid Game made history at the 2022 Emmy Awards by being the first non-English language drama series to win multiple major category awards.
Season 2 of Squid Game is set to debut on Netflix on December 26, 2024.
Related Articles:
Exploring the Cast Members of Married at First Sight UK Season 9
5:20
Sister Wives Fans React: Christine’s Conversation with Janelle Sparks Division
5:05
Celebrities at IU’s 2024 Encore Seoul Concert: Taehyung, Lee Jong-suk, and 16 More Stars Spotted
5:03
Leave a Reply