Director of the controversial Film ‘The Hunt’ Breaks Silence on Film’s Cancellation
After Universal announced it has canceled the release of Blumhouse’s The Hunt just about a week ago. Director, Craig Zobel (Z for Zachariah) has broken the silence about the cancellation in an exclusive interview with Variety. He told the site this week that the film’s storyline has been wildly misrepresented.
“If I believed this film could incite violence, I wouldn’t have made it,” said Zobel. The filmmaker continued, “Our ambition was to poke at both sides of the aisle equally,” he wrote. “We seek to entertain and unify, not enrage and divide. It is up to the viewers to decide what their takeaway will be.”
Originally set for release in late September, Blumhouse’s The Hunt was pulled from release by Universal Pictures following increased criticism of the movie brought their way by President Donald Trump.
“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 for Universal said in a statement. “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.”
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, GLOW), 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 (two-time Oscar (R) winner Hilary Swank) at the center of it all. – The Hunt
At this time, there are no further plans for The Hunt to be released and whether the decision affects the Asia release date.