South Korean dystopian drama
Squid Game
, launched less than four weeks ago on Netflix, has been viewed by 111 million subscribed households, a record for a series start on the platform, the group said on Tuesday (October 12).
"Squid Game has reached 111 million fans - having the biggest start for a series"
on the platform, Netflix tweeted.
Read alsoSquid Game, the phenomenon series that demonstrates the power of Netflix
Mixing social allegory and extreme violence,
Squid Game
features characters from the most marginalized fringes of South Korea, including an Indian migrant and a North Korean defector, participating in traditional children's games to win 45.6 billion won (33 million euros). Losers are killed. The juxtaposition of childish pastimes and their fatal consequence, with a polished production and sumptuous scenography, has indeed conquered a very large audience around the world, the series prancing at the top of the rankings on Netflix in more than 80 countries.
The record so far had been held by an entirely different series,
Bridgerton
, chronicling the sentimental intrigues of good British society in the early 19th century, which had been viewed by 82 million accounts in the four weeks that followed. it was put online at the end of December 2019. The figures published by Netflix, which count all accounts watching an episode for at least two minutes, are not subject to third-party verification, unlike audience measurements for traditional television.
Read also Omar Sy signs a flagship actor and producer contract with Netflix
The
Squid Game
phenomenon
is the latest manifestation of South Korea's growing influence on the global cultural scene, following the K-pop sensation BTS and
Parasite
, Palme d'Or at Cannes and first non-language film. English to win the Oscar for best film. The Korean wave should not fall immediately: in February, Netflix announced a plan to invest $ 500 million (432 million euros) for this year alone in series and films produced in South Korea.
This Korean box also reinforces Netflix in its strategy of producing more international content and in foreign languages.
The streaming giant's third biggest success is the made-in-France series
Lupine
, with French star Omar Sy playing the famous gentleman burglar.