While Universal and the Blumhouse team have had big success with the Purge franchise, the companies' latest blend of politics and violence has fallen afoul of the political climate in the States, resulting in the decision to cancel the release of The Hunt.
Written by Damon Lindelof and Nick Cuse, the basic synopsis for the film runs as: "In the shadow of a dark internet conspiracy theory, a bunch of 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), 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 (Hilary Swank) at the center of it all."
In the shadow of the latest mass shootings in the US, the two companies had decided to remove much of the marketing for the film, directed by Craig Zobel. Now, though, they are holding the film indefinitely.
"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 picked up by Variety. "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."
Films have often been delayed because of real-world events, though this feels more permanent, which is regretful since it'll do exactly nothing to solve the actual issue in the United States in particular. The Hunt had been due to arrive next month.