Trending Now: This entertainment story covers the latest buzz, reactions, and updates surrounding Trending Now: Kim Zolciak, Dylan Efron & More Join Squid Game: The VIP Challenge – Fans React..
Originally appeared on E! Online
Who’s going to be the last VIP standing?
That’s the question the celebrities cast in Netflix’s Squid Game: VIP Challenge will seek to answer. The streaming giant announced the stacked cast for the game on March 3 which includes the NBA’s Tristan Thompson, Dancing with the Stars’ Dylan Efron and Real Housewives of Atlanta alum Kim Zolciak.
Joining them are Spice Girls’ Mel B, Bachelor Nation’s Hannah Godwin, Owning Manhattan’s Ryan Serhant, content creator Kristy Sarah and the winner of Squid Game: The Challenge season two Viper.
As for how they’re feeling? The stars are certainly ready to bring it as Tristan, while sharing the promo, made it clear he plans to bring his baller mindset to the games. “New Court. New rules. Still built to win,” he wrote. “Squid Game: The VIP Challenge, Im coming for ya!! Less Gooooo!”
Mel B, meanwhile, is ready to spice up the reality competition.
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“Squid games are about to get REALLY Scary,” the singer, known in the girl group as Scary Spice, teased. “Yes that’s right it’s gonna ME behind the mask and out to ink everyone in Squid Games VIP challenge – watch it if you dare!! The masks are on. The stakes are higher. Thrilled to announce that I’m joining Squid Game: The VIP Challenge, coming soon to Netflix.”
For Kim, it’s a homecoming of sorts as she’s largely stayed away from reality TV since leaving RHOA in 2012. But now she’s ready to step back in front of the cameras.
“Power. Pressure. And a front-row seat to chaos,” she noted. “I’m excited to share that I’m joining Squid Game: The VIP Challenge as a VIP, coming soon to Netflix.”
Netflix
While the rules and game have yet to be announced, Squid Game: The Challenge followed a model based on the Netflix drama—minus the deaths—where contestants compete in a series of high stakes games to see who will come out victorious in the end.
In the series, which led to its own reality competition, contestants wore replicas of the green and white tracksuits, and the guards donned the red suits with the masks.
As for what’s to come for the star-stuffed series, Netflix teased a game like no other.
“The VIPs are officially raising the stakes in a brand new game,” the description on the promo video read. “With more on the line than ever before, players and celebrity VIPs, enter the Squid Game: The VIP Challenge for the chance at winning it all.”
Before the VIPs suit of for the games, keep reading for more series making their return or premiering in 2026…
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (Apple TV+) – Feb. 27
Season two will pick up with the fate of Monarch—and the world—hanging in the balance. The dramatic saga reveals buried secrets that reunite our heroes (and villains) on Kong’s Skull Island, and a new, mysterious village where a mythical Titan rises from the sea. The ripple effects of the past make waves in the present day, blurring the bonds between family, friend and foe—all with the threat of a titan event on the horizon.
Formula 1: Drive to Survive (Netflix) – Feb. 27
Offering unprecedented access, this new season will once again take fans behind the scenes, to witness first-hand how the drivers and teams prepare to battle it out for the 2025 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
Agents of Mystery (Netflix) – Feb. 27
Six agents – Lee Yong-jin, John Park, Lee Eun-ji, Lee Hye-ri, Kim Do-hoon, and Karina – probe into bizarre incidents that cannot be explained by science in this unscripted series.
If It’s Tuesday, It’s Murder (Hulu) – Mar. 31
The Spanish original is a murder mystery about an organized trip to Lisbon by a peculiar group of Spanish tourists that turns into an investigation into a mysterious murder, forcing its protagonists to bring out their detective skills to discover who is behind the crime.
The Actor Awards 2026 (Netflix) – Mar. 1
The Actor Awards (formerly called the SAG Awards) will return with host Kristen Bell.
Tournament of Champions (Food Network) – Mar. 1
The Guy Fieri-hosted competition returns for season seven.
Marshals (CBS) – Mar. 1
Marshals stars Luke Grimes reprising his role as Kayce Dutton. With the Yellowstone Ranch behind him, Dutton joins an elite unit of U.S. Marshals, combining his skills as a cowboy and Navy SEAL to bring range justice to Montana. Kayce and his teammates – Pete Calvin (Logan Marshall-Green), Belle Skinner (Arielle Kebbel), Andrea Cruz (Ash Santos) and Miles Kittle (Tatanka Means) – must balance the high psychological cost of serving as the last line of defense in the region’s war on violence with their duty to their families, which for Kayce includes his son Tate (Brecken Merrill) and his confidantes Mo (Mo Brings Plenty) and Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) from the Broken Rock reservation.
DTF St. Louis (HBO Max) – Mar. 1
A limited series about a love triangle between three adults experiencing middle-age malaise that leads to one of them ending up dead.
Bachelor Mansion Takeover (HGTV) – Mar. 2
HGTV will bring 12 former Bachelor, Bachelorette, Golden Bachelor and Golden Bachelorette contestants back to the mansion where it all began to give the famed property a dramatic makeover in the network’s newest design competition series Bachelor Mansion Takeover. The six-episode series, hosted by Jesse Palmer, will challenge fan-favorite franchise alumni with expert renovation skills.
Siren’s Kiss (Prime VIdeo) – Mar. 2
Cha Woo-seok (Wi Hajun) receives a mysterious call from an informant who claims to have evidence of a fraud-related murder. Before revealing the truth, the informant falls to her death. Woo-seok’s investigation leads him to Royal Auction and its chief auctioneer, Han Seol-ah (Park Min-young), whose three fiancés have all died under suspicious circumstances. To expose the truth, or perhaps to test her, Woo-seok proposes they fake a relationship. As he uncovers her secrets, he realizes he may have stepped into a web he can’t escape—and that getting out could cost him everything.
Tribunal Justice (Prime Video) – Mar. 2
Tribunal Justice features a beloved panel of three dynamic judges adjudicating real and compelling cases. It is followed by a lively and spirited deliberation, where the judges don’t always see eye-to-eye, which makes for an exciting verdict.
RJ Decker (ABC) – Mar. 3
RJ Decker (Scott Speedman) is a former newspaper photographer and ex-con who starts over as a private investigator in the colorful-if-crime-filled world of South Florida. The series follows him tackling cases that range from slightly odd to outright bizarre with the help of his journalist ex, her police detective wife and a shadowy woman from his past who could be his greatest ally … or his one-way ticket back to prison.
Dirty Rotten Scandals (E!) – Mar. 4
E! examines the shocking true stories behind TV sensations The Dr. Phil Show, America’s Next Top Model and The Price Is Right.
Southern Hospitality (Bravo) – Mar. 4
Leva Bonaparte, the Queen of King Street, and her staff – Joe Bradley, Bradley Carter, TJ Dinch, Michols Peña, Maddi Reese and Lake Rucker – are back, and this summer is one for the books. Familiar faces Mia Alario, Grace Lilly and Molly Moore also return.
The team at Republic also welcomes new hires Justin Assad and Bella Starcher, whose arrivals quickly shake up the dynamic on King Street.
Southern Hospitality follows the lives of a tight-knit group of friends living and working together in Charleston, S.C. At Republic, there’s never a dull shift – where a splash of shade, a pinch of drama and rumors bubbling just beneath the surface keep the party going in the electrifying VIP world.
Flavortown Food Fight (Food Network) – Mar. 4
Mayor of Flavortown Guy Fieri will welcome the world to the tastiest place on earth in the new Food Network series.
Long referred to but never before seen, the mythical and delicious Flavortown will be the setting for this multi-round, culinary competition. In each episode, Fieri will welcome three chefs to Flavortown where skills and cooking chops can earn advantages and ultimately a win. Competitors will choose their own adventure as they compete in authentic food establishments ranging from street food carts to neighborhood spots to fast casual eateries and the finest fine dining restaurants in the world.
America’s Culinary Cup (CBS) – Mar. 4
America’s Culinary Cup from acclaimed Emmy Award-nominated food expert Padma Lakshmi features an invitation-only lineup of America’s most elite chefs to compete in the ultimate culinary arena, with chefs Michael Cimarusti and Wylie Dufresne serving as judges. Sixteen chefs will be tested against the competition’s 10 culinary commandments – meat, vegetables, sauces, dessert, innovation, flavors, sustainability, world cuisine, consistency, culinary science and technology – the very principles that define greatness in the kitchen. Cimarusti and Dufresne bring their unique perspectives to evaluate taste, creativity, presentation and technique, determining who advances, who is eliminated and who ultimately masters the commandments to win America’s Culinary Cup and claim the biggest cash prize in culinary history – $1 million dollars.
Young Sherlock (Prime Video) – Mar. 4
This reimagining of the beloved detective, brought to life by visionary director and executive producer Guy Ritchie, charts the origin story of Sherlock Holmes in an irreverent, action-laden mystery that follows the iconic detective’s early adventures.
Ladies of London: The New Reign (Bravo) – Mar. 5
A new wave of British blue bloods, ambitious American expats and glamorous international socialites – Lady Emma Thynn, Martha Sitwell, Mark-Francis Vandelli, Lottie Kane, Missè Beqiri, Kimi Murdoch, Myka Meier and Margo Stilley – light up London’s elite social scene. As tradition collides with the fast-paced globalized world, these power players redefine what it means to belong to high society in one of the most iconic cities in the world. Here, connections are currency, and the crown isn’t the only thing up for grabs.
Ted (Peacock) – Mar. 5
Get ready for more laughs when Seth MacFarlane‘s comedy returns for season two.
Vladimir (Netflix) – Mar. 5
When a passionate but reckless professor’s world begins to unravel, she finds herself dangerously fixated on her magnetic new colleague. Seduction and obsession collide in Vladimir—a provocative limited series brimming with forbidden desires, razor-sharp wit, and charismatic, unpredictable characters. As boundaries blur and secrets simmer, she’ll risk everything to bring her most scandalous fantasies to life. Based on the acclaimed novel by Julia May Jonas.
A Friend, A Murderer (Netflix) – Mar. 5
This is the story of how a series of horrific crimes affected a rural community in Denmark and how a Danish town’s close-knit community was transformed into distrust and fear. When the perpetrator is finally caught after eight years, it brings relief to the town – and to Denmark. But for Amanda, Nichlas and Kiri, it marks the beginning of their worst nightmare: the person they’ve feared for so long turns out to be one of their closest friends. During the trial, they realise that their former friend had planned and carried out assaults, kidnappings and murder while partying and having fun alongside them. The questions echo in their minds: Why didn’t I see anything? Were we ever really friends? And can I ever trust my own judgment again?
Outlander (Starz) – Mar. 6
In the eighth and final chapter of Outlander, a heart-wrenching journey lies ahead for Claire and Jamie’s enduring love story. Audiences can anticipate tender romance and the edge-of-your-seat drama fans have come to cherish over the past eight seasons, as the celebrated and genre-defining series approaches its epic conclusion.
Boyfriend on Demand (Netflix) – Mar. 6
Boyfriend On Demand is a romantic comedy series in which the exhausted webtoon producer Mi-rae escapes reality through a subscription-based virtual dating simulation program, where she gets to experience the dates of her dream.
The TikTok Killer (Netflix) – Mar. 6
In 2023, Esther Estepa, a 42-year-old woman, disappears in Spain after a trip during which she crossed paths with a social media content creator. With no answers, her family and those close to her begin their own search, retracing Esther’s final steps through messages, videos, and other digital traces that remain available even after her disappearance. The story unfolds through that digital footprint, which becomes one of the few sources to shed light on what happened.
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