According to MacRumors, Apple TV has pulled its upcoming French thriller series “The Hunt” just days before its scheduled December 3 debut. Production company Gaumont confirmed the postponement while conducting a “thorough review” of plagiarism allegations. Creator Cédric Anger is accused of copying the plot from late author Douglas Fairbairn’s 1973 novel “Shoot” and its 1976 film adaptation. French journalist Clément Garin first made the allegations, reporting that both stories follow hunters who encounter rival hunters leading to violent consequences. The series was set to premiere with two episodes on December 3 followed by weekly releases through December 31, but Apple has removed all promotional materials. This marks the second time this year Apple TV has pulled a completed series at the last minute, following Jessica Chastain’s “The Savant” postponement in September.
The plagiarism looks pretty blatant
When you look at the details that Clément Garin uncovered, the similarities are hard to ignore. Both stories feature hunters encountering rival hunters in the wilderness, one hunter getting shot, the attacker being killed in retaliation, survivors returning home while keeping it secret, and then growing paranoid about revenge. That’s not just similar themes – that’s the entire plot structure. And when Variety confirms the production company is conducting a “thorough review,” you know they’re taking this seriously. Here’s the thing – in the streaming world where content is king, you’d think they’d have better plagiarism checks before greenlighting a full series.
This is becoming a pattern for Apple
Two pulled series in three months? That’s not a great look for a service that’s trying to compete with Netflix and Disney+. “The Savant” getting yanked in September was bad enough, but now “The Hunt” just days before debut? It makes you wonder about their quality control processes. Apple’s been throwing serious money at original content to build up Apple TV+, but if they can’t vet their shows properly, that reputation takes a hit. Basically, they’re learning the hard way that having deep pockets doesn’t automatically mean you have good judgment.
The streaming landscape is brutal
Look, every streaming service is desperate for hits right now. But pulling completed shows at the last minute creates this perception of chaos behind the scenes. For Apple specifically, which positions itself as the premium, quality-focused option, these kinds of missteps undermine that branding. When you’re competing in a crowded market where consumers have endless choices, you can’t afford these self-inflicted wounds. The real question is whether this will make Apple more cautious about future projects – and whether that caution will help or hurt their content pipeline.
