Film where elite liberals hunt deplorables cancelled

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controversy has erupted over Universal's decision to pull "The Hunt" — a horror satire in which wealthy elitists hunt so-called "deplorables" for sport — after the film was attacked by conservatives including President Donald Trump.

Universal's decision was made after Trump tweeted on Friday that "Liberal Hollywood is Racist at the highest level, and with great Anger and Hate! They like to call themselves 'Elite,' but they are not Elite. In fact, it is often the people that they so strongly oppose that are actually the Elite. The movie coming out is made in order to inflame and cause chaos. They create their own violence, and then try to blame others. They are the true Racists, and are very bad for our Country!"

Fox News both complained about the release of the movie and celebrated its failure to launch.

"Cancelation of ‘The Hunt’ is a victory for gun-toting, Bible-clinging patriots," wrote Fox News' Todd Starnes. As Buzzfeed News reported, the network mounted a concerted campaign against the film:

In a statement on Saturday, the studio explained that "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. 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," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

There was considerable backlash on Twitter against Universal's decision.

In response to a tweet by evangelist Franklin Graham denouncing "The Hunt," film critic Mike McGranaghan observed that it's "probably a good time to point out that no one (including critics) has actually seen THE HUNT yet, so we have no idea whether it's politically charged or, if it is, what the politics are. This is a lame attempt to continue fanning the flames of an already sadly divided nation."

Scott Mendelson, a senior contributor at Forbes who covers entertainment financial news, described the cancellation of "The Hunt" as "Morally Indefensible And Financially Unavoidable" in his headline. After describing the various financial reasons why Universal may have pulled the film after the 2014 controversy surrounding another politically charged movie, "The Interview," he described the possible moral implications of the studio's decision.

I don't really see what all the fuss is about. I say let it play. It is obviously not based in reality. If the goal was for it to be realistic, it would need to be set in Appalachia to see how truly well Antifa would do. Thus far, all the coverage of successful violence has taken place in hoighty toighty places where people have all their teeth.

I'd pay good money to see an Antifa come up against one of those 'wrong turn' families who have never left the 'holler.' They'd be dangling upside down by a bear trap and served as Sunday dinner.

I get a kick out of this stuff. Fact is, there's a LOT of this country that Antifa has no clue about. And I would love to see the looks on their faces.

I don't get it. The "liberals" are the bad guys in the film, aren't they? Shouldn't it be the democrats shutting it down if anyone?

I don't get it. The "liberals" are the bad guys in the film, aren't they? Shouldn't it be the democrats shutting it down if anyone?

At the intersection of post-shooting panic and our hyperpartisan culture wars, the film The Hunt was struck by a semi-truck of stupid outrage and cancelled.

The Hunt, an R-rated violent satire of the very attitudes that ended up destroying it, is based on the well-worn horror trope of people hunting other people for sport. The twist for The Hunt is that the hunters are rich urban elites (read: liberals) hunting average Joes with accents from flyover territory (read: conservatives). The movie comes from Blumhouse Productions, the same folks behind the Purge series and Get Out, which also involve the privileged violently taking advantage and killing the less privileged.

In movies like this, the audience is expected to identify with and cheer for the people being hunted. The elite liberals are the bad guys of the movie. They are hunting down and murdering conservatives because of their opinions.

Yet somehow, thanks to Fox coverage and some subsequent tweets from President Donald Trump, the movie's concept was twisted into an idea that Hollywood wanted us to be rooting for murderous elites. The Daily Beast notes that The Hunt has been the subject of at least 21 segments on Fox News and Fox Business Network (including reruns), and that these reports have generally assumed that the movie is a celebration of murdering conservatives

This is stupid snowflake nonsense from right-wing pundits—and probably just the pundits. (Are any conservatives who don't make a living off the televised culture war offended by the film?) It is as inane as blaming video games for real-world violence.

Certainly, movies and television shows have been pulled or delayed when the timing of violent or deadly real-world incidents intersects in a potentially traumatic way. But this isn't really a case of that. The Hunt is being cancelled because a group of vocal partisans cannot handle a movie that satirizes the caustic turn the culture war has taken.

Send them to Texas...or better yet, Idaho.

I don't really see what all the fuss is about. I say let it play. It is obviously not based in reality. If the goal was for it to be realistic, it would need to be set in Appalachia to see how truly well Antifa would do. Thus far, all the coverage of successful violence has taken place in hoighty toighty places where people have all their teeth.

I'd pay good money to see an Antifa come up against one of those 'wrong turn' families who have never left the 'holler.' They'd be dangling upside down by a bear trap and served as Sunday dinner.

I get a kick out of this stuff. Fact is, there's a LOT of this country that Antifa has no clue about. And I would love to see the looks on their faces.

Universal pulls release of "The Hunt" following pressure from Trump, Fox News

Fox and Trump have learned how to no platform from the SJW's well. It's only an attack on free speech when progressives do it, got it.

I would imagine many of the people in the Appalachian Mountains would have a "No Trespassing" sign on their property. You don't mess with Mountain Men on their turf. You just don't.