Over the last week, there’s been a lot of discussion about Universal’s film “The Hunt.” After the marketing controversy that led to media outrage, timed with two mass murders, the studio decided it was best to shelve “The Hunt,” which tells the story of people hunting other people, with no new release date in mind. But while it would appear, on the surface at least, that “The Hunt” is a problematic film, to begin with, producer Jason Blum doesn’t think he would have changed anything about the plot, even in light of this experience.
Speaking to Vulture, while promoting the upcoming Blumhouse film “Don’t Let Go,” Blum discussed “The Hunt” and the aftermath of the shitstorm that has led many to criticize his studio, as well as the folks making the film. Specifically, Blum was asked whether or not he’d change anything about the film or if there’s a lesson to be learned coming out of this controversy.
“I learned a lot of lessons,” admitted Blum. “If I was offered the choice to make the movie again, I would say yes. 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.”
As for whether or not he predicts “The Hunt” will be released in the future, Blum is optimistic and said, “Definitely a chance. I hope so.”
As mentioned, “The Hunt” was canceled after marketing controversy surrounding the film’s plot about the liberal “elite” hunting the conservative “deplorables” for sport, in a political spin on the classic story “The Most Dangerous Game.” Death threats, conservative media scrutiny, and even a tweet from President Trump all came out of the marketing campaign for the film, which began its push right as two recent mass murders involving gunmen occurred.
Will there ever be a good time to release “The Hunt?” That’s the question that Blum and Universal have to decide. If anything, it’s likely not going to come out anytime soon. Maybe in 2020?