Universal Cancels Damon Lidelof’s ‘The Hunt’ In the Wake of Mass Shootings

Following the mass shooting incidents in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas, Universal has decided not to release the movie “The Hunt” written by Damon Lindelof and Nick Cuse and directed by Craig Zobel. The movie was supposed to be in theaters on Sept. 27 but the studio will suspend promotions and pull it off the release schedule.

“The Hunt” stars Ike Barinholtz, Betty Gilpin, Emma Roberts, Hilary Swank, Glenn Howerton, Justin Hartley, Ethan Suplee and Amy Madigan. It follows the story of 12 strangers, known as the “deplorables” who wake up in a predicament they don’t know how they got themselves into.

Eventually, these deplorables learn they are part of a hunting game planned out by rich people inside the Manor House. The rich don’t see these deplorables as humans and one of them decides to fight back, causing a full-blown shooting spree.

Filming for “The Hunt” started on February 2019 in New Orleans and was completed last April. The movie is supposed to be a satirical take on the ongoing war between the elites and the liberals as “deplorables” was supposed to be the term the supporters of Pres. Donald Trump used to describe those who oppose him. The movie further attracted controversy when the President of the United States tweeted, without naming “The Hunt,” that it was created to “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 spokesperson said in a press release. “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.”