Apple TV has pulled upcoming French thriller “The Hunt” (“Traqués”) from its December slate, and now we know why: Creator and director Cédric Anger has been accused of ripping off the series’ story from the 1973 novel “Shoot,” by Douglas Fairbairn, which previously was adapted into the 1974 film “The Hunt.”
According to Apple Insider, which reported the news on Tuesday, the allegations were first surfaced by French media expert Clement Garin.
French producer Gaumont confirmed in a statement Tuesday that “The Hunt” has been shelved as it investigates the allegations.
“The broadcast of our series ‘The Hunt’ has been temporarily postponed,” Gaumont said in a statement shared with Variety. “We are currently conducting a thorough review to address any questions related to our production. We take intellectual property matters very seriously.”
“The Hunt” was originally set to make its global debut on Apple TV on Wednesday, Dec. 3, with the first two episodes, followed by one episode weekly, every Wednesday through Dec. 31. But Apple TV removed the show from its lineup last week.
The French-language thriller from Anger (“Next Time I’ll Aim for the Heart”) comes from executive producers Isabelle Degeorges, Clémentine Vaudaux, Alexis Barqueiro and Sidonie Dumas for Gaumont (“Lupin,” “Becoming Karl Lagerfeld,” “Totems”). Benoît Magimel and Mélanie Laurent star.
“The Hunt” (“Traqués”) also stars Damien Bonnard, Manuel Guillot, Cédric Appietto, Angelyna Danabe Mignot, Paul Beaurepaire, Yann Goven, Sarah Pachoud and Patrick de Vallette.
Here is the logline: “Franck (Magimel) and his longtime friends enjoy spending their weekends hunting together, but one Sunday, they come across another group of hunters who start targeting them without explanation. When one of their party is shot, Franck’s friends strike back, sending an attacker to the ground. Barely managing to escape, the four friends keep the event a secret. Franck tries to go back to his life as usual alongside his wife, Krystel (Laurent), but in the next few days, he starts to feel like he and his friends are being watched, or worse, tracked by hunters who are now hell-bent on revenge.”