CULTURE

The Hunt May Be Released In Theaters After All

If Jason Blum has his way.


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Matt Winkelmeyer

Controversial film The Hunt, which stars Betty Gilpin, may be coming to a theater near you after all. That is of course, if the film’s producer, Jason Blum, has his way. In a new interview with Vulture, the Blumhouse boss was asked if the film might ever see the light of day after it was pulled from Universal’s release schedule amidst some Twitter criticism from Donald Trump. “Definitely a chance. I hope so,” Blum said.

The Hunt, which follows a group of red-state strangers, or “deplorables,” as they’re being hunted by liberals, in a move that many saw as the studio caving to right wing rhetoric, particularly that of the President himself. The film, which was scheduled to hit theaters on September 27, was singled out for its depiction of gun violence in the wake of the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton, as well as its politically divisive plot.

“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 at the time. “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.”

In his sit down with Vulture, Blum acknowledged that the film’s marketing campaign was fraught, but was defiant when asked if he regrets making the film. “If I was offered the choice to make the movie again, I would say yes,” he 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.”

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