Universal Pictures pulls The Hunt from its roster, confirming Saturday that it will not be released.
The release of the violent thriller, a spin on The Most Dangerous Game, where men hunt men for sports has been canceled.
The Craig Zobel-directed feature stars Betty Gilpin, Ike Barinholtz, Hilary Swank, Emma Roberts, Ethan Suplee, and Justin Hartley. Its plotline description reads: “Twelve strangers wake up in a clearing. They don’t know where they are, or how they got there. They don’t know they’ve been chosen for a very specific purpose – The Hunt.”
News of the cancelation was announced by the studio Saturday and follows Universal’s earlier decision to pause advertising it.
“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. “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.”
The Hunt was to hit theaters September 27.
