Hollywood Studio Cancels ‘The Hunt’ Movie Release After Criticism

Universal Pictures on Saturday canceled the release of “The Hunt,” a satirical thriller about a group of Americans who are captured to be hunted and killed for sport, following apparent criticism by President Donald Trump and a recent series of mass shootings.

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It gave no reason for the cancellation. A Universal Pictures representative did not return an email seeking comment.

“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,” Universal said in a statement.

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The film came from Blumhouse Productions, which has produced a number of popular horror films such as “The Purge” and “Get Out.”

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The Hollywood Reporter, citing details in the film’s screenplay, reported earlier this week that a character at one point called the people being hunted “deplorables.”

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