‘The Hunt’ is Off

Universal Pictures cancels release of HBO thriller after Trump slams movie in tweet

“Elites” killing “Deplorables” may sound like an extreme interpretation of today’s politics. “Deplorables” is a recognizable term from the 2016 presidential election that Hillary Clinton used to describe Trump supporters; the word alone draws an immediate connection between the plot of the movie and real-life political strife.

“The Hunt” is a new movie created by Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof. The movie drew inspiration from real-world politics and the short story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell. The thriller quickly morphed into an uncomfortable and realistic take of today’s world.

Advertising for the satirical thriller was stopped out of respect for the mass shootings. However, even after the cancellation, both the president and public continued to express concern and disapproval over the plot.

Ultimately, the vocalized disapproval resulted in Universal Studios pulling the plug and releasing a press statement:

“After thoughtful consideration, the studio has decided to cancel our plans to release the film. We stand by our filmmakers and will continue to distribute films in partnership with bold and visionary creators… but we understand that now is not the right time to release this film.”

The ‘now’ Universal references is modern-day society. Recent events have created a tense and polarized political atmosphere that has resulted in a hypersensitive society. The idea of hunting and killing those who have opposing views, regardless of the satirical message, is too intense for the people of today’s political climate. Violence is quickly becoming a normalized aspect of society, in other words, a reaction to everything.

The president agreed with the public, tweeting the plot, “Elites” versus “Deplorables”, is bad for the country and, in a classic Trump response, that the creators of the thriller are racist.

“They like to call themselves “Elite,” but they are not Elite… The movie coming out is made in order to inflame and cause chaos… They are the true Racists, and are very bad for our Country!”

The following day, Universal released its statement regarding the cancellation of the thriller. While the racist accusation stands unsubstantiated, I agree with Trump in regards to the way the movie encourages chaos and violence.

Is the fantasy of killing others who oppose our morals that far-fetched from what is on the news today?

While the thriller seems to be a fully canceled ordeal, Cuse and Lindelof will continue with the release of the thriller through “bold and visionary creators.” Maybe there is hope for those wanting to see the film.