'Squid Game' is a global rage: 5 things you didn't know about the show

Netflix’s South Korean series 'Squid Game' has become a global sensation within a month of its release. According to Netflix's own data, the dystopian show is on track to become the most-watched show on the platform, and its actors have shot to global fame overnight.

Here are 5 things about the show, that you probably didn't know

#1 'Squid Game' was originally meant to be a film
Netflix announced plans for the series in September 2019, and it was originally meant to be a film called "Round Six." Show creator Hwang Dong-hyuk started working on the script in 2008 and finished the first draft of it in 2009. He struggled with funding and casting for years, until Netflix picked it up about a decade later.

#2 The weird doll in the first game of 'Squid Game' exists
The eerie oversized doll from the first episode of the show is real and can be found in Jincheon County, a rural area around three hours north of Seoul. The doll was reportedly borrowed for filming "Squid Game" and then returned. According to Koreaboo, the doll guards the entrance of a horse-carriage museum.

#3 Phone number in the first episode is also real
In 'Squid Game', participants are given a business card. On one side are PlayStation-like icons, and on the other is a phone number to call. The number, just like the doll is also real. The owner of the phone number is reportedly getting thousands of calls each day. Netflix Korea now plans to edit the phone number and has asked viewers not to call it.

#4 A challenge on 'Squid Game' is now a viral TikTok trend
The challenge with dalgona candy, a type of honeycomb toffee, has inspired TikTokers to create their own version. The candy consists of two simple ingredients — sugar and baking soda — but the true challenge is eating around the image imprinted in the treat without breaking it.

#5 No camera effects in 'Squid Game', game sets were made
You may have spotted those formidable, vibrant staircases that are completely mind-bending. Instead of relying on camera effects, the cast of 'Squid Game' actually played all the games on real large-scale sets.