Universal Won’t Release “The Hunt” Movie After Backlash From Trump And Fox News
Universal Pictures has decided to scrap the release of the upcoming film The Hunt after apparent backlash from President Trump and Fox News over the satirical movie’s depiction of conservative Americans being gruesomely hunted for sport by liberal “elites.”
The decision to withhold the movie, which had been set to hit cinemas on Sept. 27, was also impacted by the recent mass shootings in El Paso, Dayton, and Gilroy, California — events that had already prompted studio executives to halt the violent film’s marketing.
“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 spokesperson told BuzzFeed News in an email on 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 website for the movie has now been shuttered, with only a copy of that statement remaining on the page. The film’s trailer has also been taken down on YouTube by Universal Pictures, but copies still exist on other non-affiliated channels.
