Apple TV+ Series Pulled Hours Before Premiere
In a dramatic last-minute decision, Apple TV+ has postponed the launch of its highly anticipated French thriller The Hunt following serious allegations of plagiarism. The series, originally scheduled for release on 3 December, has been removed from the streaming platform's schedule while production company Gaumont conducts a thorough investigation.
The controversy emerged when French media expert Clément Garin first highlighted striking similarities between The Hunt's plot and the 1976 action film Shoot, itself an adaptation of Douglas Fairbairn's 1973 novel. Apple has since removed all promotional materials, including trailers and press releases, from its official platforms.
Production Company Responds to Allegations
Gaumont, the production company behind the troubled series, released an official statement addressing the situation. "The broadcast of our series The Hunt has been temporarily postponed," the company confirmed. "We are currently conducting a thorough review to address any questions related to our production. We take intellectual property matters very seriously."
The series boasts an impressive cast, featuring Cannes award winner and three-time César recipient Benoît Magimel, alongside two-time César winner Mélanie Laurent, known to international audiences for her role in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds.
Plot Similarities Raise Concerns
According to Apple's original press materials, The Hunt (known in French as À l'Ombre des Forêts) follows Franck, played by Magimel, and his longtime friends who regularly spend weekends hunting. Their routine takes a sinister turn when they become the targets of another group of hunters who continue to stalk them even after they return from their trip.
The allegedly similar work, Shoot, features a nearly identical premise. The 1976 US/Canadian production stars Cliff Robertson and Ernest Borgnine as part of a group of hunters whose wilderness excursion turns deadly when they encounter a rival hunting party. The confrontation escalates when one hunter is shot and the group retaliates, killing the attacker, then flees back to civilisation while fearing retaliation from the dead man's companions.
This marks the second time this year that Apple TV+ has pulled a series shortly before its scheduled launch. In September, the platform postponed Jessica Chastain's series The Savant just three days before its air date following the shooting of rightwing activist Charlie Kirk.
Chastain publicly expressed her disagreement with Apple's decision at the time, stating on Instagram that she and the platform were "not aligned on the decision to pause the release of The Savant." The series, which follows Chastain as an investigator tracking white supremacists online, remains without a new release date.
Both Apple TV+ and Gaumont have been approached for further comment regarding The Hunt's postponed release and the ongoing investigation into the plagiarism allegations.
