'Squid Game' team gets bonuses from Netflix

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Entertainment & Arts

Tue, October 3, 2023 | 07:07

Shows & Dramas

'Squid Game' team gets bonuses from Netflix

Posted : 2021-11-23 12:48

Updated : 2021-11-23 17:24

A still of South Korea's dystopian drama "Squid Game" / Courtesy of Netflix

By Kang Hyun-kyung

The "Squid Game" team has received one-time bonuses from Netflix in the past weeks, according to Bloomberg News.

The media report came amid an "underemployment" controversy raised by some Korean experts who claim Netflix does not sufficiently value the efforts of the creators, producers and cast members.

The amounts of money paid to the team are not the level of "life-changing," the Bloomberg article said.

"The cast received less than the stars of (U.S. TV series) 'Succession' get paid for one episode. The bonuses are a recognition of how lucrative 'Squid Game' has been for Netflix. The show, which cost just $21 million to produce, is estimated to be worth more than $900 million to Netflix," the article read.

Netflix's one-time bonuses for the Squid Game team, paid in the past couple of weeks, came at a time when some Koreans were complaining about the global streaming giant's inequitable financial reward model.

The South Korean dystopian drama has been Netflix's biggest global hit, but most of the money has gone to the streaming giant, while the creator, producers and actors were not properly remunerated.

According to an expert familiar with the entertainment industry, the entire "Squid Game" team is believed to have earned a mere $1.7 million.

Another Korean expert cynically compared the team to an "underpaid Major League Baseball player" who hit 40 home runs in his debut season.