“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 vision behind Beast Games, according to host, co-creator, and executive producer Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson.
This groundbreaking Prime Video competition series features a staggering 1,000 contestants competing in intense physical and mental challenges for an unprecedented $10 million grand prize. MrBeast explains, “I’ve always wondered why $1 million was the artificial ceiling for competition prizes. Shows get paid a lot more than that.” Despite the high stakes, Donaldson admits the show lost money. “My goal with Season 1 wasn’t to make money, it was honestly just to create the greatest competition possible. We went a little overkill.”
A major expense was the construction of a custom-built city designed by production designer Stephen Leonhardt. “Nobody’s done anything like it before,” Leonhardt says. “We had the same time to set up as a regular TV show, but instead of 30 contestants, we had 500. Logistics like managing bathroom breaks were overwhelming — it felt like a mix between a TV set and a Coachella festival.”
Leonhardt points out that the industry usually focuses on cost-cutting, but Beast Games swung for the fences. “They wanted the highest-budget sets in TV history. At first, I thought it was a joke, but then I realized they were serious — it was thrilling!”
During preproduction, over 1,000 employees worked continuously for more than 20 days. Leonhardt adds, “They may not be the biggest sets ever made, but definitely the biggest in that timeframe.”
With over 380 million subscribers and 2 billion monthly views, MrBeast is the most-subscribed YouTube channel worldwide. Co-creator and executive producer Sean Klitzner credits Donaldson’s deep understanding of digital audience engagement for the show’s success. “Jimmy has spent tens of thousands of hours studying the psychological connection between content and audience,” Klitzner says. “That insight translated seamlessly to television.”
See More ...
Casting director Katy Wallin managed the enormous task of finding 1,000 diverse and passionate contestants. “This was one of the best experiences of my career. We searched for unforgettable, genuine people with strong reasons to compete,” Wallin explains. “For example, Jeffrey Allen, the winner, was motivated by his desire to change his son’s life by finding a cure for a disease. We looked for authentic stories that would resonate deeply with viewers.”
Editor Mack Hopkins describes the post-production process as “the most advanced edit mankind has ever attempted.” With over 1,100 cameras capturing footage from 1,000 contestants, reviewing every moment was impossible. Yet, a miracle helped shape the story: the first and second-place contestants happened to stand next to each other in Episode 1, providing critical dialogue exchanges that enhanced storytelling.
For a deeper dive into Beast Games, watch the full panel video where the creators discuss their favorite moments, biggest challenges, and unforgettable contestants.
This article and video are presented by Prime Video.
