Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo and his upcoming Netflix-backed prank show have come under fire over a premise many are calling cruel because it "preys on unemployed people."
The series, revealed Friday by Deadline, will bring two strangers together under the premise of starting their first day at a new job. When their paths collide, their newly won gigs "turn into full-time nightmares."
16-year-old Matarazzo will host and act as executive producer on Prank Encounters, due out from Netflix later this year, alongside producers Ben Silverman (The Office) and Howard Owens (Netflix's You vs. Wild).
Details from the series are light, but the hidden camera show's premise is facing wide criticism: "i was just saying i'd love to watch a rich child humiliate economically insecure adults. can't wait," wrote Beth McColl in a tweet that has been favorited more than 129,000 times.
When sharing the Deadline announcement to his Twitter page, where Matarazzo has 1.27 million followers, the Stranger Things star faced mixed responses across more than 1,700 replies:
"Fire your agent right now," tweeted one commentator. Said another, "Sorry, but this show sounds like a horrible idea." Yet another criticized the idea, writing it "sounds cruel."
Actress and author Mara Wilson was among the replies, tweeting, "Gaten, can we talk[?]"
"Do the folks getting pranked get ridiculous compensation?" asked another user in a tweet. "Like a years salary of what they would have gotten if it was a real job? If so, I'd be excited to watch. Otherwise, it'd be just cruel."
UPDATE: Netflix clarifies the pranks are supernatural in nature and paid participants expected one-day jobs.
"The pranks in Prank Encounters are spooky, supernatural, and over the top, and everyone had a great time," a Netflix spokesperson said. "All participants came in with the expectation this was a one-day, hourly gig and everyone got paid for their time."