Yahoo Movies The Hunt could still be released despite controversy: There's 'definitely a chance,' says producer
The Hunt faced an uncertain future after its release was canceled amid controversy earlier this month. But producer Jason Blum said there’s “definitely a chance” the film will eventually see the light of day.
The thriller, starring Betty Gilpin and Hilary Swank, is set in a reality where regular people are kidnapped and hunted for sport by rich elites. It was scheduled for a Sept. 27 release before Universal Pictures pulled the movie following the shootings in Texas and Ohio. In a statement, Universal said it felt “now is not the right time to release this film.”
Blum, whose company Blumhouse Productions was behind The Hunt, told Vulture recently that he still has “hope” for the film. He also said he took away a lot from the public dialogue surrounding its release but maintains that he would still make the film now, given everything that’s happened.
“I learned a lot of lessons… If I was offered the choice to make the movie again, I would say yes,” Blum said. “We definitely made marketing mistakes, and we made plenty of mistakes along the way. So I’ve learned a lot. It might change how I would position movies and how I would consult on the marketing of the movies. But actually the making of the movies? No.”
The controversy surrounding the film was exacerbated after President Donald Trump seemed to lash out at the film in a Twitter diatribe.
“Liberal Hollywood is Racist at the highest level, and with great Anger and Hate!” he wrote in a two-part tweet that did not mention the film by name. “They like to call themselves ‘Elite,’ but they are not Elite. In fact, it is often the people that they so strongly oppose that are actually the Elite.”
However, Trump’s criticisms seem to miss the mark, as the film’s trailers (which have now been taken down) do make it clear that the onscreen elites are the furthest from righteous, and that the true heroes are the people being hunted.
Blumhouse has been behind both dramatic and horror projects and counts Paranormal Activity, Jordan Peele’s Get Out, and BlacKkKlansman among its portfolio. Its recent fares have included HBO’s Sharp Objects and the horror film Ma. Next up for the company will be the David Oyelowo-starring Don’t Let Go.
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