MrBeast receives backlash after revealing how much he spent building a town for Beast Games
Topics: Amazon Prime, MrBeast, Squid Game, YouTube, Film and TV
Mia Williams
Featured Image Credit: X/MrBeast
Topics: Amazon Prime, MrBeast, Squid Game, YouTube, Film and TV
MrBeast has faced criticism after he revealed the eye-watering amount he spent on a new series.
YouTube star MrBeast is known in the space for his big-budget productions and has truly transformed the way people consume content on the platform.
He has raised the level of content creation for other users after spending millions on each of his unique concepts.
However, in a new series with Amazon Prime Video, the creator has taken the budget to a whole new level.
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Beast Games is coming to the subscription-based platform on December 19, with a series that appears to be inspired by Netflix's Squid Game.
MrBeast - real name James 'Jimmy' Donaldson - dropped the trailer yesterday (December 8), and the reactions have been a mixed bag.
While some can't wait for the series to drop, others have hit out at the amount he spent on the production.
Taking to X, MrBeast wrote: "I spent over a year creating this 10 episode competition series, breaking 40 world records, building the craziest sets in entertainment history, featuring 1,000 players, and a $5,000,000 grand prize!”
The teaser showed contestants wearing blue tracksuits, similar to the ones we saw in Squid Game.
Players will face challenges that involve monster trucks, a pirate ship and jumping out of a helicopter.
In a separate post showcasing his jaw-dropping set, MrBeast added: "We spent $14,000,000 building a city in a field for the contestants in Beast Games to live and compete in... December 19th is almost here."
But the huge amount of money didn't exactly land the way he might have hoped it would.
One user replied: "You could have re-built real cities in North Carolina."
Another said: "You can do far better and more useful things with this amount of money."
While a third added: "Think of the good that could do this Christmas to someone’s life."
Someone else penned: "I am sorry but one 25 minute video is not a good way how to spend 14 millions. You can do far better and more useful things with this amount of money."
To which MrBeast responded: "Hmmm, it’s almost like this is a 10 episode Prime video show I made and not a 25 minute YouTube video lol."
However, some fans came to his defense.
"I mean, you are making a series, so it will be expensive. The trailer does look cool, so I will check it out when it's released," one commented.
In September, a lawsuit was filed against MrBeast, his production team, and Amazon, after a contestant who took part in the show claimed they were deprived of medical care, food, sleep and 'the necessities of basic hygiene'.
However, MrBeast has quashed these claims.
He said: "We have tons of behind the scenes dropping when the show does to show how blown out of proportion these claims were.
"Just can’t release it now because it would spoil the games."
UNILAD has reached out to MrBeast's reps for comment.