Indian director Soham Shah has filed a lawsuit against Netflix alleging substantial similarities between his 2009 film “Luck” and the streaming service’s hit series “Squid Game.” In the lawsuit, Shah claims that key elements of the plot, characters, themes, and sequence of events in “Squid Game” too closely resemble those in his earlier film. Both stories reportedly center around impoverished individuals who participate in deadly competitions involving games for substantial cash prizes, with wealthy individuals betting on the outcomes.
Some specifics Shah cites include the depiction of the main characters, the tournament-style competition format involving life-threatening games for money, and the involvement of wealthy spectators gambling on the result. Shah argues these similarities go beyond mere coincidence. He also notes that “Squid Game” creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has said he wrote the story as early as 2009, when “Luck” was released internationally on over 1,300 screens and marketed extensively.
However, Netflix denies the plagiarism accusations. A company spokesperson stated they intend to “vigorously defend this matter,” asserting that “Squid Game” was written solely by Hwang. Proving plagiarism in such a case can be difficult without a direct proven connection between the works. Experts observe many past lawsuits over similar premises, like deadly competition stories, have faced challenges in courts.
While this adds another controversy for the “Squid Game” franchise, Netflix is continuing plans for the future. Season 2 is scheduled for late 2024 with discussions around a 2025 Season 3 release. Controversies have emerged elsewhere too, like allegations of unsafe conditions during filming of the “Squid Game” reality competition spin-off show last year. But no formal legal actions have resulted yet regarding those claims. The outcome of Shah’s lawsuit remains uncertain, as such cases often involve lengthy legal processes.
