Posted in: Movies, Universal | Tagged: movies, Op ed, the hunt, universal

[OP-ED] Universal Picture's Decision to Pull "The Hunt" Is the Wrong Call

Published Mon, 12 Aug 2019 15:15:43 -0500

It seems as if Universal has decided to use recent events and our current political climate as reasons to cancel The 's September 27th release. While to some, this might seems like the right decision; in reality, it's setting a dangerous precedent for future projects to be canceled due to some objecting over the subject matter.

Now, to be crystal clear had Universal just decided to delay the release if The Hunt in light of the tragic shooting in Dayton and El Paso, I would have been 100% on board with that, but that's not what's occurring. What we are dealing with is a world that's quick to judge and craves to sensationalize every little thing to someone's advantage. If we read a blurb and don't like it, we immediately start going for the jugular.

What kills me is that very few people have seen The Hunt. We are essentially making these decisions based on a trailer and loud rumblings of certain political leaders. Where do we draw the line after this? If a movie which satirizes our love of guns by turning hunting of humans into a sport is off-limits then what about releases like Saw or The Purge. What about any number of the Marvel movies which use violence as a way to solve problems. The point is we are looking for a solution without addressing the issue. Also, remember that individuals can choose whether or not they want to see a film and don't need some overlord making a decision for them.

The reality is that Universal saw that The Hunt was going to face stiff competition at the box-office and likely wasn't going to fare well so instead of just moving the release date, they decided to scrap it. This wasn't a decision which respected anyone's views except the bottom line. What they should have done is look at moving the release of the film to sometime in January and offering to donate proceeds from ticket sales for The Hunt to organizations committed to curbing gun violence.

Instead, what we have is an everlasting image of Universal bending the knee to a portion of our country that seeks to protect anyone's (the keyword being anyone) right to a firearm and offers prayers the moment another mass shooting occurs. So instead of pointing the blame at a release like The Hunt (or for that matter any video game) start examining the laws we have in place in regards to gun ownership. Suppressing artistic expression won't bring an end to this senseless violence but cracking down on who can own a gun just might.

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