Hollywood has caved in to the disgust and outrage the planned September release of The Hunt – a film whose plot centers around elite liberals hunting and murdering “deplorables” reminiscient of Trump supporters for sport!
Ads for the movie, whose titled was originally “Red State vs. Blue State” were pulled by major networks like ESPN following the mass shootings that took place last weekend.
Now, the release date for the movie has been canceled by Universal Pictures who responded to the controversy trailers for the grotesque flick brought on in a statement saying,
“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.”
Take a look at this breaking news on Twitter:
President Trump himself had condemned the movie before its release was canceled.
On Twitter, Trump said:
Here's more from The New York Times:
Universal Pictures on Saturday canceled plans to release “The Hunt” — a thriller about a group of “globalist elites” killing people for sport — after two recent mass shootings that left a total of 31 people dead in El Paso and in Dayton, Ohio.
“The Hunt,” which stars Betty Gilpin, Hilary Swank and Emma Roberts, was scheduled to be released on Sept. 27.
“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,” said a statement from Universal Pictures posted to the film’s website. “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.”
A spokeswoman for Blumhouse Productions, the company behind the movie and others like “The Purge” and “Get Out,” said it was not issuing a statement. It was not clear if the movie might be released at some later date.
“The Hunt” follows a group of people who in the movie’s trailer declare, “We pay for everything, so this country belongs to us.” For sport, they set out to hunt people they kidnap, dropping them off at an undisclosed location. The trailer prominently featured people being shot.
The studio’s decision to cancel its release came after 31 people were killed in two mass shootings last weekend.
The first happened on Saturday at a crowded Walmart in El Paso, where a man armed with an AK-style rifle gunned down 22 people. Early on Sunday morning, nine people died when a gunman opened fire on a crowd gathered on the sidewalk of a busy entertainment district in Dayton.
On Friday, President Trump alluded to “The Hunt” on Twitter without specifically naming it. He said it was made “in order to inflame and cause chaos.”
“Liberal Hollywood is Racist at the highest level, and with great Anger and Hate!” he wrote. “They like to call themselves ‘Elite,’ but they are not Elite.”
He continued: “They create their own violence, and then try to blame others. They are true Racists, and are very bad for our Country!”
Mr. Trump also briefly mentioned Hollywood and was possibly alluding to the film in remarks before departing from the South Lawn on Friday.
“Hollywood is really terrible,” Mr. Trump said, according to a transcript. “You talk about racist — Hollywood is racist. What they’re doing, with the kind of movies they’re putting out — it’s actually very dangerous for our country. What Hollywood is doing is a tremendous disturbance to our country.”
The Los Angeles Times also said:
Universal Pictures has canceled the September release of “The Hunt” in the wake of recent mass shootings, intense scrutiny from conservative media and tweets by President Trump seen as alluding to the film as a movie “made in order ... to inflame and cause chaos.”
“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,” a Universal representative said in a statement Saturday. “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 film’s cast is led by “GLOW” Emmy nominee Betty Gilpin, Emma Roberts and Ike Barinholtz as strangers who wake up in a clearing and realize they are being hunted for sport. Oscar winner Hilary Swank also stars. Directed by Craig Zobel (“Compliance,” “Z for Zachariah”) from a script by Nick Cuse and “Lost” co-creator Damon Lindelof and produced by Lindelof and Blumhouse’s Jason Blum, it was scheduled to be released Sept. 27.
A source close to the project confirmed that any decision about when — or on what platform, theatrical or streaming — “The Hunt” may be released in the future remains up to Universal.
The studio had already pulled back on marketing for the film following recent mass shootings in Gilroy, Calif., Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso. A broadcast ad slated to air on ESPN was pulled last weekend, according to the Hollywood Reporter. On Saturday, Universal announced its decision to halt the film’s planned nationwide release altogether.
In addition, Detroit Free Press added:
Universal Pictures is canceling the release of "The Hunt" – a film that President Donald Trump seemingly criticized earlier this week.
In a tweet Saturday, the studio shared a link to their official statement.
"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," the statement read. "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 film, which was set for release in September, has sparked controversy due to its subject matter in the wake of recent mass shootings. The film follows a group of wealthy elites who hunt people in rural America for sport, according to Rotten Tomatoesand The Hollywood Reporter.
In a statement provided to USA TODAY Saturday by representative Marla Farrell, the film's star Hilary Swank commented on the cancellation.
“I fully support the decision by Universal and the filmmakers regarding 'The Hunt.' It is a choice that I also personally felt was necessary," she said. "I can’t comprehend the violence happening in our country right now. We should all focus on healing, and above all else, kindness, sensitivity and humanity.”
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