Universal Pictures has released a new trailer for The Hunt, the Blumhouse film that was previously pulled from its planned theatrical release following mass shootings, as well as death threats and poor audience reaction.
Perhaps the most notable aspect of the trailer isn't the footage itself but rather that Universal is clearly embracing the controversy the film stirred up. "The most talked about movie of the year is one nobody's seen yet," a text card reads in between shots. That said, even the footage and dialogue seem to make light of the drama, framing the entire plot as one massive apparent misunderstanding.
At the time of this writing, it's unclear what prompted Universal to reverse its decision to pull The Hunt. In conjunction with the new trailer, though, the studio also released a poster that similarly embraces controversy.
The official synopsis for The Hunt is below:
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. In the shadow of a dark internet conspiracy theory, a bunch of elites gathers for the very first time at a remote Manor House to hunt humans for sport. But the elites’ master plan is about to be derailed because one of the hunted, Crystal (Betty Gilpin, GLOW), knows The Hunters’ game better than they do. She turns the tables on the killers, picking them off, one by one, as she makes her way toward the mysterious woman (two-time Oscar® winner Hilary Swank) at the center of it all.
Written by Damon Lindelof and Nick Cuse and directed by Craig Zobel, The Hunt stars Emma Roberts, Justin Hartley, Genn Howerton, Ike Barinholtz, Betty Gilpin, Amy Madigan, Hilary Swank and Ethan Suplee. The film arrives in theaters March 13.