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Craig Zobel, director of "The Hunt," hopes the controversial political thriller will eventually be seen by the public, and claims that his message has been misread in the media.
Zobel spoke for the first time since Universal canceled the release of the film on August 10, following a series of mass shootings and in a context of increasingly conservative reaction.
The film depicts a group of elites who hunt "deplorable" for the sport. Fox News commentators condemned him as "sick" and "awful".
In response to a series of questions sent via e-mail, Zobel said he did not intend to escalate political conflicts, which led to a series of deadly incidents over the past few years. last years.
"If I thought this film could incite violence, I would not have done it," he wrote.
He said the film was not politically partisan and that its purpose was rather to satirize the "two sides" of the partisan division.
"Our ambition was to hit both sides the same distance," he wrote. "We seek to entertain and unify, not to rage and divide. It's up to viewers to decide what they will buy. "
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Universal has suspended the marketing campaign for the film after mass shooting in Gilroy, CA, in El Paso, Texas and in Dayton, Ohio. Following this decision, the conservatives called the film a "liberal fantasy". Even President Trump denounced Hollywood "racism" and declared that the film was intended to "ignite and provoke chaos".
Zobel said the film was misunderstood. He said it was actually a matter of partisanship and that both sides did not fully understand the views of their opponents.
"I wanted to make a fun thriller that satirizes this moment of our culture – where we jump to assume we know someone's beliefs because of what" team "we think they're are … and then start shouting at them, "he wrote. . "This rush to judgment is one of the most important issues of our time."
"The Hunt" has become a rare black eye for Blumhouse, one of the most successful production companies in the film industry. The founder, Jason Blum, had a touch of gold with genre films like "Get Out" and "The First Purge", which deal with edgy political themes.
But with the "hunt", this approach has turned against us. Leaders seem to have underestimated the risks of political satire in the exacerbated atmosphere of the Trump administration.
The studio did not seem to have a clearly defined marketing plan for "The Hunt", which was presented as a simple thriller, with a hint of political connotation.
Zobel congratulated Universal for taking "the risk of seeing a film not based on previous intellectual property rights." He stated that the scenario had not changed much during his production and that he was under no pressure to mitigate the film's politics.
He also said that he supported the studio's decision to delay its publication in light of the August 3rd and 4th gun killings, which left 31 dead.
"I was wiped out by going to sleep in El Paso and getting up at Dayton," he wrote. "These types of moments happen far too often. As a result of these horrific events, we immediately reflected on what that meant for the timing of our film. Once inaccurate assumptions about the content and intent of the film began to take root, I supported the decision to move the film from its release date. "
Universal has not screened the film for critics, the political content of the final cup is still largely conjectural. A first draft of the script obtained by Variety makes it clear that the initial intention was to portray the conservatives of the working class as heroes. They are kidnapped and hunted down by "liberal elites", one of whom claims that "climate change is real" before expelling his victim. One of the good guys is talking about "deep state" and another fantasy about saying "Hannity" to denounce the plot.
The screenplay was written by Nick Cuse, a 29-year-old Harvard graduate, and Damon Lindelof, a veteran television producer and prolific donor of Democratic presidential candidates. Cuse is a registered Republican who nonetheless gave Senator Elizabeth Warren in 2017. He was a writer for Lindelof's show on HBO, "The Leftovers," and is the son of producer Carlton Cuse, who directed " Lost "with Lindelof.
Blum is also a generous supporter of the Democrats and has not concealed his disdain for the President.
The extreme gore of the film would certainly have sparked controversy in the aftermath of the El Paso and Dayton shootings, but its political themes – though poorly understood – have made it radioactive. According to the Daily Beast, Trump displeased the White House about the "movie" of "those who hate Trump".
"When the goal of your film is to kill, to chase people, you will have to answer tough questions about why you are releasing such a movie in the current climate," said Jeff Bock, Exhibitor Relations Analyst. . "I think that Universal just did not want to handle spin control that would probably have exceeded and exceeded its advertising department."
In a statement to VarietyUniversal repudiated the announcement that the test audience had been uncomfortable with the film's political leanings and also countered claims that the screenplay originally had a politically explosive title.
"Some outlets indicated that the test screenings for 'The Hunt' resulted in negative feedback from the audience; In fact, the film was very well received and got one of the best test scores for an original Blumhouse film, "said a spokesman for Universal. "Moreover, no audience member present at the screening has expressed embarrassment at the political discussions in the film. According to some reports, "The Hunt" was previously called "Red State vs. Blue State", but this title has never been used as a working title for the film nor during the development process.
As for Zobel, he said he hoped the film would become a learning moment, allowing the public to reflect on the polarization of politics.
"My hope would be for people to think about why we are right now, where we have no desire to listen to each other," he said. "And if I'm lucky, some of us will wonder how we got here. And where do we want to go from here? "
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