YouTube star MrBeast is set to film his new reality competition series ‘Beast Games’ in Toronto this month, and there’s already some controversy surrounding the production.
Jimmy Donaldson (aka MrBeast) partnered with Amazon MGM Studios to produce ‘Beast Games’ — the show will premiere on Amazon Prime Video and is set to become the largest reality competition series, where 1000 contestants will compete for a $5 million prize (this will reportedly be the biggest single prize in the history of television/streaming networks).
Big news gamers I’m going to be filming the largest game show in history and releasing it on Prime Video! Over 1,000 contestants, $5,000,000 prize, and many other world records.. I’ll reveal more later this year but let’s just say, it’s gonna be an insane show 😀
— MrBeast (@MrBeast) March 18, 2024
The Toronto film dates were initially set for July 15–August 23 but have apparently been slightly delayed, perhaps due to alleged conditions surrounding their promo shoot in Las Vegas, NV, last month.
About 2000 participants showed up in Vegas at Allegiant Stadium in July to begin shooting for ‘Beast Games’, but multiple participants told the New York Times and other outlets about some contestants experiencing seizures, diabetic shock, and physical injuries from the physical challenges; there were also complaints of inadequate food and medical care.
In a statement to Deadline, a spokesperson for MrBeast noted that the promo video shoot was “complicated” by the CrowdStrike incident (which caused a catastrophic global IT outage last month), as well as “other unexpected logistical and communications issues”, but that the team has taken steps to ensure that they have learned from this experience.
The spokesperson added that “virtually all” of the contestants invited to Toronto for the next stage of the production have “enthusiastically accepted” their invitation.
The Times article noted that the 1,000 contestants who made it through all four challenges in the Vegas arena — without being eliminated — are now getting ready for the next stage of the competition, “which is set to be filmed in Canada in early August.”
“We are grateful that virtually all of those invited to Toronto for our next production have enthusiastically accepted our invitation,” a MrBeast spokesperson wrote to the Times.
BlogTO noted that the entirety of the Toronto shoot will reportedly take place at Downsview Park Studios.
MrBeast is considered the world’s biggest YouTuber, with over 309 million subs on his main channel. ‘Beast Games’ will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories across the globe.
