UPDATE: Universal Scraps Release of Human-Hunting Movie The Hunt Amidst Controversy
Just over a month away from its slated release in theaters, director Craig Zobel’s (Z for Zachariah) The Hunt has been pulled from distribution and shelved indefinitely, likely due to the recent political controversy stoked by conservative media and even President Donald Trump. A spokesperson for the studio had this to say:
While Universal Pictures had already paused the marketing campaign for ‘The Hunt,’ after thoughtful consideration, the studio has decided to cancel our plans to release the film. We stand by our filmmakers and will continue to distribute films in partnership with bold and visionary creators, like those associated with this satirical social thriller, but we understand that now is not the right time to release this film.
Original post: Wealthy Hunters Stalk the Most Dangerous Game in Teaser Trailer for The Hunt,
Twelve strangers wake up in a clearing. They don’t know where they are, or how they got there. They don’t know they’ve been chosen… for a very specific purpose … The Hunt. In the shadow of a dark internet conspiracy theory, a group of globalist elites gathers for the very first time at a remote Manor House to hunt humans for sport. But the elites’ master plan is about to be derailed because one of the hunted, Crystal (Betty Gilpin), knows The Hunters’ game better than they do. She turns the tables on the killers, picking them off, one by one, as she makes her way toward the mysterious woman (Hilary Swank) at the center of it all.
***Trailer removed from YouTube by Universal
The Hunt was written (with Nick Cuse) by Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof and produced by Jason Blum, the producer of Get Out and The Purge series. It was directed by Craig Zobel (Z for Zachariah). Ike Barinholtz and Emma Roberts also star.
Image courtesy of Universal
