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Craig Zobel, director of the controversial political thriller The Hunt, spoke on the cancellation of the film's release, claiming that his plot and his message had both been distorted.
Zobel, whose previous films include Compliance and Z for Zachariah, told Variety that despite the wrath of the right, his film did not take a political stance. The thriller, played by Betty Gilpin and Hilary Swank, exists in an alternative America where liberal elites drive the "deplorable" sport out of the working class.
"Our ambition was to hit both sides of the aisle equally," he said. "We seek to entertain and unify, not to rage and divide. It's up to viewers to decide what they will buy. "
The Hunt was originally scheduled for release in September but was shot by Universal after the recent shootings in El Paso and Dayton. "Once inaccurate assumptions about the content and intention of the film began to impose, I supported the decision to move the film from its release date," Zobel said.
The film had already been criticized by commentators Fox News and Donald Trump, in turn, alluded to it as a project seeking to "ignite and cause chaos."
"If I thought this film could incite violence, I would not have done it," Zobel said. "I wanted to make a fun action thriller that satirizes this moment of our culture – we assume we know somebody's beliefs because of what 'team' we think we are … and then we start screaming at them above. This rush to judgment is one of the most important problems of our time. "
The film is produced by Jason Blum, author of many such hits in recent years, including Get Out, The Purge franchise and the recent Halloween sequel. In an interview with Vulture, Blum said that there was "a chance" that the film would be distributed in the future.
According to Variety, a first draft of the scenario positioned the conservatives of the working class as a fighting hero against the democratic elites. A spokesman for Universal said the test screenings were very positive while no member of the public has expressed discomfort for the topics.
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