'The Hunt': Release date, plot, cast, trailer and all you need to know about the most controversial film of 2020
'The Hunt' was controversial. Such was the outrage the movie caused, that the original September 2019 release was pushed to six months later. NBC Universal was forced to shelve it.
Universal 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".
And after all the obstacles the movie faced, 'The Hunt' finally gets a release date. Here's everything you need to know about the thriller:
Release
'The Hunt' will be released on March 13, six months after the originally scheduled date.
Plot
The movie is a satire on wealthy-thrill seekers who go a fulfilling expedition that involves killing and hunting humans. Universal's official premise reads: "Loosely based on the 1924 short story 'The Most Dangerous Game' by Richard Connell, the film follows 12 strangers who mysteriously wake up in a clearing."
They do not know where they are or how they got there. They discover that they have been chosen to be hunted in a game devised by a group of people from the rich elite.
The hunters gather in a remote facility called the Manor House, but their sport gets derailed when one of the hunted, Crystal (Betty Gilpin), fights back and starts killing them one by one.
Cast
Betty Gilpin
Gilpin plays Crystal in the film.
Emma Roberts
Roberts gained recognition for her lead role as Addie Singer on the Nickelodeon television series 'Unfabulous'.
Hilary Swank
Swank received widespread critical acclaim for her performance as Brandon Teena, a trans man in the biographical drama film 'Boys Don't Cry.'
Justin Hartley
Hartley is known for his television roles that include Fox Crane on the NBC daytime soap opera 'Passions'.
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') round up the rest of the cast.
Trailer
News
In an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter, producer Jason Blum and screenwriter Damon Lindelof defended the film from the backlash. "None of us were interested in taking sides with this movie," Blum said. 'It's probably the most judged movie that's ever existed that everyone who judged it hadn't seen."
'We think that people who see it are going to enjoy it and this may be a way to shine a light on a very serious problem in the country, which is that we're divided. And we think the movie may actually, ironically, bring people together," Lindelof said.
According to a report by Daily Mail, the characters in the film, which was originally called 'Red State Vs. Blue State', apparently refers to the victims as "deplorables" — a term that Hillary Clinton had infamously dubbed Trump supporters during the 2016 election.
Watch this space for more updates on 'The Hunt'.
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