Apple TV Pulls 'The Hunt' Show Over Plagiarism Claims

[MacRumors]

Apple TV has pulled its upcoming French thriller series "The Hunt" just days before its scheduled December 3 debut, after allegations emerged that the show plagiarized a 1973 novel and its film adaptation.

Production company Gaumont confirmed the postponement in a statement, saying it is "conducting a thorough review to address any questions related to our production." The company added that it takes "intellectual property matters very seriously."

Creator and director Cédric Anger is accused of copying the plot from late author Douglas Fairbairn's novel "Shoot" and the 1976 film of the same name. French media journalist Clément Garin was first to make the allegations, according to Variety.

The similarities between the two stories look fairly substantial. Both narratives follow a group of hunters who encounter rival hunters in the wilderness, leading to violent consequences. In each story, one hunter is shot and the attacker is killed in retaliation. The survivors then return home while keeping the incident secret, but they soon grow paranoid about the potential for revenge.

"The Hunt" was set to premiere with two episodes on December 3, followed by weekly releases through December 31, but Apple has since removed all promotional materials for the series from its website. Apple has yet to comment on the controversy.

It's the second time this year Apple TV has pulled a completed series at the last minute. Jessica Chastain's "The Savant" was postponed days before its September premiere and still has no release date.

Article Link: Apple TV Pulls 'The Hunt' Show Over Plagiarism Claims

 

[surfzen21]

Just ask Apple Intelligence if it was plagiarized.

That should get to the bottom of this definitively.

 

[kotaKat]

... maybe it's time for Apple to go back to the drawing board and work on their actual products instead of weird 'content' offshoots? Do we really need yet another Netflix-style slop engine?

 

[Rafagon]

Why was The Savant pulled? Also alleged plagiarism?

Do these Hunt actors still get paid if plagiarism is confirmed?

Who spotted the similarities?

 

[OwlBundy]

This should already or close to being cleared up. Take the alleged plagiarism give that work to the team of entertainment lawyers that Apple has and either release it or don’t. The fact they pulled the release tells us something isn’t right.

 

[orbital~debris]

Why was The Savant pulled? Also alleged plagiarism?

Do these Hunt actors still get paid if plagiarism is confirmed?

Who spotted the similarities?

The Savant was pulled seemingly due to storyline similarities with current events around the time it was due to premiere on tv.

 

[CharlesShaw]

Do we really need yet another Netflix-style slop engine?

I'm thankful for much of the excellent television that Apple has spent some of its money on. While not everyone is going to be happy with every show, Apple can afford to takes risks on projects that otherwise might not get the budget they deserve to "go all out." Think Severance.

Edit to add: I'm thankful for some of the original content that Netflix funds as well.

 

[tomtad]

Bit awkward no one picked this up.

Anyway, how we getting on with that iWork update Apple?

 

[tedwill]

At least Apple pulled it. Many Netflix shows have been accused of plagiarism, including Stranger Things and Squid games. Netflix just loves to feed their algorithm and take the money. Apple at least has integrity.

 

[Sydnxt]

Why wasn’t this checked before Apple bought/made the show?

 

[benface]

Do these Hunt actors still get paid if plagiarism is confirmed?

Pretty sure the cast and crew got paid already.

 

[Mr_Ed]

Why wasn’t this checked before Apple bought/made the show?

I’m not a fan of Apple TV (or pretty much any other Apple service for that matter) but to be fair, it has been difficult to check for plagiarism with absolute certainty. Any author who spots similarities between something getting media attention (like a movie or show) and something they created may claim plagiarism is at play, and at the time, may genuinely feel that is the case.

At least Apple pulled it. Many Netflix shows have been accused of plagiarism, including Stranger Things and Squid games. Netflix just loves to feed their algorithm and take the money. Apple at least has integrity.

Stranger Things is a perfect example. The author who initiated the lawsuit re: Stranger Things later voluntarily dropped the lawsuit, saying additional evidence collected for the case convinced him Stranger Things indeed did not plagiarize his work.

 

[tenthousandthings]

Why was The Savant pulled? Also alleged plagiarism?

Not plagiarism. It’s based on a real-life person (who remains anonymous). The premiere was postponed, not pulled—all of the promotional materials are still available. The reasons for postponing it are not trivial—Chastain wasn’t happy, but it’s not all about her, despite what she would like to think—the character isn’t fictional.

Who spotted the similarities?

See the article you are commenting on.

 

[Mr_Ed]

Do these Hunt actors still get paid if plagiarism is confirmed?

Why wouldn’t they? Vetting the origins of the work or making release decisions is not their responsibility.

 

[mw360]

Why wasn’t this checked before Apple bought/made the show?

It was almost certainly was legally cleared by a dedicated legal firm, but that doesn't mean somebody checks every single movie and book ever made. There are a lot of movies.

And also it could still be a coincidence or the stories may be more different then they are being made to sound.

 

[wanha]

Why wasn’t this checked before Apple bought/made the show?

how do you know when you've checked enough movies? How do you know if you should keep looking more? How long should the checking process go for - months, years? - to ensure it's complete enough?

 

[wanha]

just going to say that if your company's market cap was $4 trillion, you'd take intellectual property law suits seriously too

 

[jlc1978]

This should already or close to being cleared up. Take the alleged plagiarism give that work to the team of entertainment lawyers have and either release it or don’t. The fact they pulled the release tells us something isn’t right.

Pulling it is the smart thing to do while sorting out such an issue, if only to limit legal liability.

It could be a case of cryptomnesia; but even so story lines aren't copyrightable. I suspect it ill come down to how close the show mirrors teh book/movie.

 

[t0rqx]

First the O2 sensor by Masimo, the plateau from Androids, now storylines from books.

 

[Stevez67]

Sounds like the plot line of lots of action/drama movies.

 

[JSRinUK]

Sounds like the plot line of lots of action/drama movies.

I thought the same. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen that plot many times in movies and TV episodes.

 

[joeblow7777]

Why was The Savant pulled? Also alleged plagiarism?

Do these Hunt actors still get paid if plagiarism is confirmed?

Who spotted the similarities?

I was thinking about the cast and crew as well. They should still be paid for the work they put in regardless, but it sucks if that work never gets to see the light of day through no fault of their own.

 

[Nyx1]

Apple really need some major studio

 

[sw1tcher]

Apple TV has pulled its upcoming French thriller series "The Hunt" just days before its scheduled December 3 debut, after allegations emerged that the show plagiarized a 1973 novel and its film adaptation.

It's the second time this year Apple TV has pulled a completed series at the last minute. Jessica Chastain's "The Savant" was postponed days before its September premiere and still has no release date.

So Apple is now Sherlocking novels to make content for Apple TV? 😂

 

[mw360]

I was thinking about the cast and crew as well. They should still be paid for the work they put in regardless, but it sucks if that work never gets to see the light of day through no fault of their own.

It will see the light of day. Either it will be determined to be no big deal, or the production company will make a settlement to cover licensing of The Shoot. Probably a little bit of both.