The Hunt controversy: Why was the show delayed by Apple TV a few days before release? Reasons explored

Two weeks before it was supposed to come out, Apple TV suddenly pulled The Hunt from its schedule.

They also removed posters and made the trailer private. The move has surprised everyone and sparked a lot of online discussion.

Soon, reporters shared a possible reason: Apple and the show’s studio are dealing with a copyright issue. Some reports say parts of the show may have been copied from someone else’s work. Because of this, Apple has stopped the release for now.

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The timeline of what actually happened with The Hunt

Apple was planning to release The Hunt on December 3, 2025. It was a French thriller made by Gaumont. The trailer was out, and ads were everywhere.

But two weeks before the release, Apple suddenly pulled the show. They removed it from the Apple TV app. They hid the trailer. They deleted most press posts.

Reports soon said there was a problem with the show’s story. Some writers claimed the series copied or stole ideas from earlier works. Gaumont then said the show was “temporarily postponed.” They said they needed time to check the claims. Now, Deadline has reported that the show is on hold until the investigation is done.

In a statement to Deadline, Gaumont said:

“The broadcast of our series The Hunt has been temporarily postponed. We are currently conducting a thorough review to address any questions related to our production. We take intellectual property matters very seriously.”

Apple pulled The Hunt only a few days before it was supposed to come out. Streaming companies often move dates, but they seldom erase a whole show right before release. When this happens, it usually means something big is wrong, like a legal problem or a serious complaint.

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The reported cause: alleged plagiarism / IP dispute

Deadline reported that the show may have copied ideas from an older book or project. People who own those earlier works may have complained. Some experts in France said The Hunt looks a lot like a specific older story. Reports also say an official legal fight (an IP dispute) has started in France.

Gaumont, the studio that made the show, said it is now checking these claims. Apple has not said much. They are likely waiting to see what Gaumont finds and what the lawyers decide.

Notably, plagiarism in movies and TV is not always easy to judge. Many stories use similar ideas, like revenge, missing people, or secret towns. Writers often get inspiration from the same places.

But sometimes a show is accused of copying too much. This means people think the plot, scenes, or special ideas were taken almost exactly from another work. When that happens, it is serious.

A big claim like this can lead to legal trouble. Lawyers may send urgent warnings. A judge could even stop the show from being released.

Right now, we do not know many details. No one has said whether there is a real lawsuit or just a complaint. We also do not know if only a few scenes are a problem or the whole story. It’s also unclear if the show can be fixed by giving credit or paying someone. These things depend on what the claim says. Studios usually try to solve these problems quietly and in private.

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What was The Hunt supposed to be about?

The story of The Hunt (French title: Traqués) is very simple. Franck (played by Benoît Magimel) goes on a weekend trip with his friends. They plan to hunt in the woods. But things go very wrong.

Franck’s group meets another group of hunters. This other group suddenly starts shooting at them. No one knows why, and one of Franck’s friends gets hurt.

Franck and his friends fight back and stop the attack for a moment. Then they run away into the woods. Now they must survive and find help.

After they leave, they decide not to tell anyone what happened. But soon, Franck feels something is wrong. He thinks someone is watching him. He thinks the other hunters are following them and feels like the hunters now want revenge.

The Hunt was supposed to explore fear, danger, secrets, and how one bad day can change everything. The show was meant to be a scary, tense story. It is not about hunting animals. It is about people hunting other people. The heroes become the ones being chased. The story shows how dangerous it gets and how the characters feel after the violence and secrets.

The story reports say The Hunt copied is a book from 1973 called Shoot by Douglas Fairbairn. The book was translated in 1974 with the title The Hunt. It was also made into a movie in 1976 called Shoot. The film was directed by Harvey Hart and written by Richard Berg. It starred Cliff Robertson, Ernest Borgnine, and Henry Silva.

Both stories are about friends going on a hunting trip. They meet another group of hunters. A violent incident happens as someone gets shot. The friends decide to keep it a secret. After they escape, they feel like someone is following them. The danger is not gone. It becomes a psychological threat, like being stalked.

The main problem is that Cédric Anger, the creator, may not have said the show was based on Fairbairn’s novel. This means no permission or rights might have been obtained.

The plot of the show is very similar to the book. This creates a big risk of copyright problems. Gaumont and Apple TV+ could face lawsuits or have to pay damages. Because of this, they paused the release to review the situation carefully.