Apple TV has pulled a new French thriller just days before its scheduled premiere after plagiarism allegations were levelled against the show’s creator.
The Hunt, titled Traqués in French, was produced by Gaumont and set to premiere globally on 3 December, but vanished from Apple’s platform last week, with all its trailers, listings and promotional material removed without explanation.
This followed questions about whether the show, created, written and directed by Cédric Anger, resembled Shoot, a 1973 novel by the late American author Douglas Fairbairn.
The allegations were first made publicly by French media commentator Clément Garin on his Substack, according to Apple Insider.
Sources familiar with the matter told Deadline that neither Apple nor Gaumont had been aware of the potential similarities during development, and Shoot had not been identified as source material.
The plot parallels are now being considered significant enough for Apple to halt the release while Gaumont conducts an internal review.
“The broadcast of our series The Hunt has been temporarily postponed,” Gaumont said in a statement to Deadline. “We are currently conducting a thorough review to address any questions related to our production. We take intellectual property matters very seriously.”
The Independent has reached out to Anger, Gaumont, and Apple TV for comment.
According to the show’s description on IMDb, The Hunt follows Franck, played by Benoît Magimel, and his friends who “enjoy hunting trips”.
“One day, they encounter another hunting group who targets them. In self-defence, Franck's group injures one of the attackers. Paranoia sets in as they feel hunted by now vengeful enemies.”
The ensemble cast includes Mélanie Laurent, Damien Bonnard, Manuel Guillot, Cédric Appietto, Angelyna Danabe-Mignot, and Paul Beaurepaire.
According to the Goodreads description of Shoot, the novel follows an “uber-macho hunter” named Rex, who, “together with four equally testosterone-addled buddies, embarks on a hunting trip in the Canadian wilderness”.
“But their weekend is cut short by a rival band of hunters… one of whom inexplicably take a potshot at Rex’s party,” it says. “Another of Rex’s friends returns fire, killing the shooter.”
The group returns home, but Rex becomes convinced the “dead man’s companions are going to come after him and his friends”.
He prepares for a showdown by assembling a heavily armed group and returning to the site, where, as the description reads, “before the day is done lots of guns will be fired”.
The book was adapted into a 1976 film of the same title, directed by Harvey Hart, and starring Cliff Robertson, Ernest Borgnine, and Henry Silva.
According to Apple Insider, the allegations of plagiarism only emerged at the last minute, giving the streamer little choice but to pull the show off its roster to limit legal exposure. It reported that both cast and crew had been instructed not to discuss the project while the review was underway.
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