Studio Won't Release Controversial Movie

After two mass shootings and a dose of presidential criticism, Universal has decided not to release a controversial film next month. The Hunt, starring Hilary Swank, had a dicey if satirical premise: A group of liberals hunts (literally) a group of conservatives. On Friday, Trump lashed out. "Liberal Hollywood is Racist at the highest level," Trump tweeted. "The movie coming out is made in order to inflame and cause chaos," he added. "They create their own violence, and then try to blame others." In a sample of the movie's dialogue, one character uses an expletive for the president to complain about something he's just done. "At least The Hunt's coming up," another character responds. "Nothing better than going out to the Manor and slaughtering a dozen deplorables."

ESPN pulled an ad for the movie last weekend, after the shootings in El Paso and Dayton, and Universal then paused its marketing, per Deadline. On Saturday, the studio went further, notes the Hollywood Reporter. "While Universal Pictures had already paused the marketing campaign for The Hunt, after thoughtful consideration, the studio has decided to cancel our plans to release the film," said a statement. "We stand by our filmmakers and will continue to distribute films in partnership with bold and visionary creators, like those associated with this satirical social thriller, but we understand that now is not the right time to release this film." A trailer for the movie had been up on YouTube, but it has been removed. (More President Trump stories.)