'The Hunt': Meet the cast of 2020's most controversial movie directed by Craig Zobel
'The Hunt' caused some major outrage and found itself wrapped in controversy. The film follows a group of global elites who hunt people for fun, and the topic also saw some comments from President Donald Trump criticizing the film. It was pushed from its official September 2019 release date to May. Universal also announced that in the wake of the Dayton and El Paso mass shootings, they would be suspending the film's promotional campaign. Following this was president Trump who slammed the creators as "racist." Trump had criticized the planned movie on Twitter, without mentioning its name, saying it was intended to "inflame and cause chaos."
The president also had harsh words for Hollywood in the tweet, saying "Liberal Hollywood is Racist at the highest level." That said, the movie is all set to release on May 26, and as the world waits in anticipation of the film, here's a look at the cast that makes up the flick. 'The Hunt' stars big names— Hilary Swank, Justin Hartley, Betty Gilpin, and Emma Roberts. It also stars Ethan Suplee ('Remember the Titans'), Macon Blair ('Blue Ruin'), JC MacKenzie ('Dark Angel'), Wayne Duvall ('A Quiet Place: Part II), Reed Birney, Teri Wyble ('The Walking Dead') and Sturgill Simpson ('High Top Mountain').
While the film actually released on March 13 this year, the outbreak of the coronavirus resulted in the closure of theaters, and the film attributed its BO numbers largely to the pandemic.
Hilary Swank
The Academy Award-winner needs no introduction. Swank shot to fame for her performance as Brandon Teena, a trans man in 'Boys Don't Cry' (1999). The world best remembers her as Maggie Fitzgerald in Clint Eastwood's sports drama, 'Million Dollar Baby' (2004). In 'The Hunt', Swank plays Athena Stone, the leader of the elites, a wealthy, American liberal group who kidnap and hunt people for fun. The victims are known as "Deplorables."
Justin Hartley
The 'Passions' star finds himself in the film as Sean. While the details about his role remain tight-lipped, Hartley adds to the star cast. He is also known for portraying Oliver Queen/The Green Arrow in 'Smallville' and in the NBC drama series 'This Is Us.' His role as Kevin Pearson in the NBC drama saw him earn a nomination for the Critics' Choice Television Award for "Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series."
Betty Gilpin
Gilpin became a household name after portraying Debbie "Liberty Belle" Eagan in the Netflix comedy series 'GLOW.' In 'The Hunt' she plays Crystal Creasey, one of the victims who fights back against Athena. Gilpin's major works include, 'The Grudge', 'Coffee & Kareem', 'Nurse Jackie' and 'Robot Chicken'. In an interview with the New York Times, she spoke on what 'The Hunt' was essentially trying to say. "I would say it’s a satire of our present moment where, politically and culturally, we’re getting farther and farther away from each other, that the walls of our respective bubbles are suddenly turning to steel, and it’s harder and harder to penetrate either side."
Emma Roberts
Roberts has been known for work in the horror genre. 'Scream 4', 'American Horror Story', and 'The Blackcoat's Daughter' contributed to her rise in Hollywood. In this film, the 29-year-old plays Yoga Pants and is one of the victims kidnapped to be hunted. Roberts also gained recognition for her lead role as Addie Singer on the Nickelodeon television series 'Unfabulous'.
'The Hunt' will be available on the VoD platform on May 26.