Chuck E. Cheese Game Show Sounds Like Squid Game
America’s favorite “pizza time theater” is coming to the small screen in the form of a larger-than-life gameshow. Pairing with Magical Elves production studio (known for producing shows like Nailed It! and Top Chef, the fun-loving restaurant chain is shifting its methods of connecting with the public.
Chuck E. Cheese has been around for more than 45 years, and recently, the chain made the monumental decision to remove its famous animatronic characters (band) from the equation. The removal of the iconic figures from the dining experience is a foundational shift in the vibe of the place. Many long-time customers were upset at the decision.
Though the chain has gone through many trials and tribulations along the way, Chuck E. Cheese still has more than 500 locations scattered around the U.S., and a new game show could be just what the doctor ordered for the famed restaurant chain’s revival.
Reminiscent of Netflix’s Squid Game (minus the death), contestants on the new game show will compete in giant versions of games they played as children. “Duos of ‘big kids’ (aka adults) will compete over supersized arcade games”. Pinball, air hockey, alley roller, and the claw will all be a part of the gaming lineup.
The duos will win tickets while playing the giant arcade games, and the top ticket-earning pair will then have the opportunity to exchange their tickets for prizes. The prizes will be purchased from a huge version of the well-known Chuck E. Cheese prize wall.
One of the most well-known Chuck E. Cheese slogans states that the pizza party spot is “the place where a kid can be a kid”, but adults want to be kids sometimes too. The new game show will grant grown-up kids the opportunity to feel small again among a sea of giant arcade games.
If the new game show idea actually makes it to the screen, it will mark the dawn of a new beginning for CEC Entertainment, as the company has never before ventured into the world of unscripted content. There’s no word on when the show will be released or which streaming service will carry it, but news of the Chuck E. Cheese game show is catching fire.
Now may be the perfect time to launch into a new Chuck E. Cheese game show too, given that Five Nights at Freddy’s (a horror spin on a Chuck E. Cheese-style restaurant) did so well debuting on Peacock. The movie was simultaneously released in theaters and grossed nearly $300 million worldwide, making it Blumhouse’s highest-grossing movie, surpassing even the great and powerful Split.
Maybe now is the time for the weird animatronic creatures to rule the screen once more. Maybe Chuck E. Cheese knows more than we do about entertainment. Fans of the nostalgic pizza place will have to wait and see what comes of it all but don’t be surprised if you see a giant rat hosting a giant arcade game show on your TV sometime in the next year.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
