Netflix has responded to the allegations and has strongly denied the claims, saying it has “no merit. In response to the lawsuit, the streaming giant said, “‘Squid Game’ was created and written by Hwang Dong-hyuk, and we intend to defend this matter vigorously.”
According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, Shah claimed that his film ‘Luck’, starring Sanjay Dutt, Imran Khan, and Shruti Haasan, centred around a group of people playing deadly games in hopes of winning a jackpot. With each player’s death, the prize money increases—an element which Shah claims bears striking resemblance to the plot of the hit Korean web series.
The series which was a critically acclaimed hit and lapped up all major awards, also centred around a number of contestants, desperate for money, who participate in a competition featuring childhood games, but with a deadly twist that ends in death. The series ends with one contestant walking away with the grand prize.
In his suit, Shah also alleged that his movie ‘Luck’ was released in theatres in India, UK, US, and the UAE, in July 2009 and claimed that Hwang Dong-hyuk also stated that he wrote ‘Squid Game’ that very same year.
Netflix and Hwang Dong-hyuk are expected to contest the claims, with the case potentially setting the stage for a complex legal battle.
The OTT giant was most recently in the news over a $170 million lawsuit filed over their Emmy-nominated show ‘Baby Reindeer‘. Deadline reported that a federal judge has set a trial date of May 6, 2025. Fiona Harvey, filed the multi-million dollar lawsuit, claiming that the show’s stalker, Martha Scott, was based on her interactions with its creator, writer and star Richard Gadd. An integral part of the lawsuit is that ‘Baby Reindeer’ brands the show’s events as being a ‘true story’, which the suit claims is “the biggest lie in television history.”
‘Squid Game’ Trailer: Lee Jung Jae and Park Hae Soo starrer ‘Squid Game’ Official Trailer