The Making of ‘Beast Games': Behind the scenes of Prime Video's record-breaking competition series

Yahoo

3 days ago

"What if we brought together more contestants than any competition show ever, offered the largest cash prize in history, designed the craziest games imaginable, and built it all on the most massive sets ever seen?"
That was the spark behind Beast Games, according to host, cocreator, and executive producer Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson. The record-breaking Prime Video competition series assembled an astonishing 1,000 contestants to face off in intense physical and mental challenges — all for a jaw-dropping $10 million grand prize.
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"I've always wondered why $1 million was the artificial ceiling [for winning a competition series]," Donaldson says. "Shows get paid a lot more than that." However, the creator admits Beast Games lost money. "My goal with Season 1 wasn't to make money, it was honestly just to make the greatest competition possible. We went a little overkill."
One of the show's most significant expenses was the construction of an entire custom-built city, designed by production designer Stephen Leonhardt.
SEE'Beast Games' production designer Stephen Leonhardt on redefining reality TV with the most complex sets in TV history
"Nobody's done anything like it — and that's what was both so exciting and terrifying about it," says Leonhardt. "We had the same amount of time you have to put together a set for a regular television show, except instead of trying to set up an existing house for a reality cast of 30, we had 500. Just the logistics — how are we going to deal with people going to the bathroom — were overwhelming and only comparable to huge events. It was the mix of a TV set and a full Coachella festival."
Leonhardt also notes that much of the industry is geared toward cutting costs. "Every call you get is about doing the same show for less than you did it before. Suddenly, we have these guys who just want to swing for the fences. How can you not get excited about being a part of that? They said, 'We're going to have the highest-budget sets in the history of television.' At first I wondered if I was being taken for a ride, but when I realized they were serious it was thrilling!"
For over 20 straight days during preproduction, the set design team had a role call of over 1,000 employees. "They may not be the biggest sets ever made, but they were definitely the biggest sets ever made in that timeframe," Leonhardt says.
With 380 million-plus subscribers and more than 2 billion monthly views, MrBeast is the most-subscribed YouTube channel in the world. Beast Games cocreator and executive producer Sean Klitzner credits Donaldson's understanding of digital audience engagement for the show's success
"It's learning and understanding what Jimmy has spent tens of thousands of hours studying – the psychological connection an audience member will have with a piece of content," Klitzner explains. "It takes years to understand that. Once you get into that realm, you're able to ask, 'How do we translate your style and your vision of creating content to television?'"
Casting 1,000 contestants to compete on the show was a massive undertaking for casting director Katy Wallin. "We put together a strategic plan to go out and find 1,000 amazing people — diverse, all ages, all types — and in my three decades of casting, it was one of the best experiences of my career. It was so challenging in the most positive way."
Wallin says she sought out people who were "unforgettable, passionate, and interesting": "This is not a scripted show, so we're not releasing a breakdown and putting actors in roles. These are real people competing in a contest on the biggest show in the history of television. They have to have a really good 'Why?' If we use Jeffrey Allen as an example, who won the show, he had such heart and positivity about him. It wasn't really about [the money], it was about changing the course of his son's life by finding a cure for something. We look for those layered people who are unfiltered and really open to sharing the experiences of their life that will transcend on a show like this."
SEE'Beast Games' editor Mack Hopkins on the scene that was inspired by 'Dunkirk'
Meanwhile, the enormity of production posed challenges even in post-production. Co-creator and editor Mack Hopkins refers to the show as "the most advanced edit mankind has ever attempted." With 1,000 contestants and more than 1,100 cameras capturing footage, watching every moment was impossible. Yet, serendipity played a role in shaping the story.
"The contestants who got first and second place in this show happened to — by an actual miracle — be standing next to each other in Episode 1. We were given — by the grace of God — dialogue exchanges between first and second place in Episode 1! As a person who was trying to tell a story through this whole process, it was unbelievable and I could not believe that happened."
In the full panel video above, watch the team behind Beast Games discuss in more detail their favorite episodes, the most memorable contestants, biggest challenges, and jaw-dropping moments.
This article and video are presented by Prime Video.
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