A reality TV show that bears a close resemblance to The Hunger Games is in the works in Siberia. The show, titled Game 2: Winter, will be filmed on location within the Siberian wilderness for nine months, and will pit 15 men and 15 women against each other.
The show has been garnering a lot of publicity because of the way it has been packaged. The showrunners have announced that there will be "2,000 cameras, 900 hectares, and 30 lives" in the reality show, and that "everything is allowed. Fighting, alcohol, murder, rape, smoking, anything."
To qualify as a contestant, the person will need to sign a waiver recognizing that they might get killed or raped while still on the show. The show's creator, Russian entrepreneur Yevgeny Pyatkovsky has insisted that he "will refuse any claim of participants even if they were to be killed or raped."
Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction
Game2: Winter appears to be encouraging violent and depraved behavior, and according to the producers, survival in the Siberian mountains is "virtually impossible." Aside from each other, there will be a lot of dangerous elements that the contestants will have to contend with, such as bears, snakes, and yes, poisonous berries, like the ones depicted in The Hunger Games.
The contestants will also have to deal with starvation, freezing temperatures, and lack of medical help. Pyatkovsky also cautioned people who will be joining that "this will be a real forest, with dangerous wildlife and harmful insects." He adds, "Of course, there will be some safety precautions in place, but it would still take about half an hour to reach the area where the show will take place by helicopter."
Instead of scaring people away, this announcement has created a frenzy of participants wanting to join. There are two ways to be accepted into the reality show: either pay 10 million rubles (approx. $160,000) upfront or join through an online voting system. For the latter, you need to email the show a filled-out form, photos, and a video. The site also adds that your "story should be interesting."
Reality Show Has A Caveat
Despite its controversial pronouncements, the show has added that the police could still arrest anybody who commits a crime, and that they will "obey the laws of the Russian Federation."
It remains to be seen whether actual murder and rape are "allowed" on the show due to the misleading statements from the producers.
Game2: Winter is expected to begin on July 1, 2017 and will be shown around the world.
