Universal Cancels “The Hunt” Release

Betty Gilpin in "The Hunt"

Universal Pictures cancels the release of The Hunt.

The Craig Zobel-directed thriller starring Betty Gilpin, Ike Barinholtz, Hilary Swank, Emma Roberts, Ethan Suplee, and Justin Hartley has been pulled from Universal’s roster. 

News of the cancelation was announced by the studio Saturday and follows Universal’s earlier decision to pause advertising it.

“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, ” a spokesperson for Universal said in a statement. “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.”

Per the official logline, the film follows “Twelve strangers wake up in a clearing. They don’t know where they are, or how they got there. They don’t know they’ve been chosen for a very specific purpose – The Hunt.”

The Hunt was scheduled to hit theaters September 27.