Apple TV series The Hunt postponed due to plagiarism allegations | television

A new Apple TV thriller has been pulled from schedules due to accusations of plagiarism. French drama The Hunt was due to be released on December 3, but has been hit with claims of similarities to a film adaptation of the 1976 novel Shoot.

The Hunt stars Cannes and three-time César winner Benoit Magimel and two-time César winner Mélanie Laurent, who appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. But press releases about The Hunt, as well as its official announcements, have now been removed from Apple’s website.

“The broadcast of our series The Hunt has been temporarily postponed,” production company Gaumont said in a statement. “We are currently conducting a comprehensive review to address any questions regarding our production. We take intellectual property matters very seriously.”

According to a press release sent out by Apple, The Hunt (known in French as À l’Ombre des Forêts) follows Frank (Magimel) and his old friends, who spend their weekends hunting – until they find themselves targeted by another group of hunters, who seem to be hunting them even after they return from their trip.

Shoot, to which The Hunt has been accused of bearing similarities, was a 1973 thriller written by Douglas Fairbairn and made into an American/Canadian film starring Cliff Robertson and Ernest Borgnine. The summary of the story on Goodreads is as follows:

Rex is a macho hunter who, along with four testosterone-addicted buddies, embarks on a hunting expedition in the Canadian wilderness. But their weekend is cut short by a rival group of hunters they encounter in the woods, one of whom inexplicably fires a shot at Rex’s party and scratches the head of one of his companions. One of Rex’s friends returned fire, killing the shooter. From there, Rex and his companions head off and head back to civilization. But Rex becomes convinced that the dead man’s companions will come after him and his friends.

According to AppleInsider, which broke the news on Tuesday, the allegations were first reported by French media expert Clément Garin.

The Hunt isn’t the first Apple TV show to be pulled from launch on short notice this year. Jessica Chastain’s series The Savant has been postponed three days before its September release, following the shooting of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. The Savant stars Chastain as a top-secret investigator who tracks white supremacists and other hate groups online to prevent violent attacks.

Its delay prompted Chastain to make an Instagram post stating that she and Apple “were not in agreement on the decision to pause the release of The Savant.”

“I’ve never shied away from tough topics, and while I wish this show wasn’t too relevant, unfortunately it is,” she said. “The Savant is about the heroes who work every day to stop violence before it happens, and honoring their courage is more urgent than ever.” The show still has no release date.

Apple TV and Gaumont have been contacted for comment.