Upcoming horror movie The Hunt has been abruptly pulled from release, with Universal saying in a statement that the film is not right for the current climate.
The Hunt was the latest from Blumhouse Productions, the company behind such cult hits as Paranormal Activity, The Purge and Get Out.
The story follows a group of twelve strangers, known as “deplorables”, who wake up in a clearing with no idea how they got there, to be hunted for sport by a group of sinister rich “elites.”
Betty Gilpin of G.L.O.W. plays the protagonist, who fights back against her captors, and Hilary Swank plays the evil rich lady behind it all.
In a statement today, Universal announced the cancellation of the film, without giving a specific reason, saying that the timing is not right:
“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.”
The Hunt was criticised by President Donald Trump last week, who said that the movie was made to “inflame and cause chaos.”
Liberal Hollywood is Racist at the highest level, and with great Anger and Hate! They like to call themselves “Elite,” but they are not Elite. In fact, it is often the people that they so strongly oppose that are actually the Elite. The movie coming out is made in order….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 9, 2019
His take was a bit of a confusing one, in that his hated “elites” appear to be depicted as the bad guys in the film, and the “deplorables” – another name for Trump supporters – are the heroes, but who knows what goes in in this guy’s head?
The trailers and marketing materials for the movie have been removed from official Universal channels, and it’s unknown if or when the movie will ever see the light of day.
The film was scheduled for an October 17 release in Australia, and we have reached out to Universal for clarification on if and when it will screen here.
