Controversial movie The Hunt will be released tomorrow for digital rental

Raging controversy saw its release scuttled last year and the coronavirus derailed its cinema debut. From tomorrow, you can watch it at home.

Dubbed “the most controversial movie”, The Hunt was pulled from release last year after a series of mass shootings in the US.

An action-thriller that portrays a deadly game in which a group of so-called elites hunt “ordinary” Americans for sport, The Hunt was condemned as being in bad taste. Donald Trump tweeted about it – not a high bar, he is, after all, a prolific and indiscriminate tweeter.

The controversy scuttled its original release after criticism from both sides of politics, even though no one had seen the film.

Months later, The Hunt was supposed to be released into Australian cinemas this month – of course, that’s now been derailed too thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.

Rather than wait for everything to return to normal, for cinemas to reopen and for everyone to be out and about without needing an essential reason, Universal is going to bypass the theatrical release and send The Hunt direct to home entertainment.

The Hunt will be available to rent on digital platforms including iTunes, Google Play, Fetch, Foxtel and Playstation Store from tomorrow for $19.95.

Betty Gilpin is best known for her role in GLOW

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To give everyone a taster before they splash the cash, the first 10 minutes of The Hunt will be available to watch for free on Universal’s YouTube and Facebook channels.

The movie stars Betty Gilpin, Hilary Swank and Ike Barinholtz and was directed by Craig Zobel from a script by Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof.

Gilpin plays a character who is among 11 strangers who wake up in a clearing, gagged and with no idea of how they got there. They figure out they’re victims in an elaborate conspiracy in which the rich kill the not-so-rich for sport – as in, man is the most dangerous game.

The Hunt was released briefly in the US last month before cinemas were shut and the title has been available to rent there for several weeks.

With cinemas releases on hiatus all over the world, Hollywood studios have started to release recent theatrical films to home entertainment platforms inside the traditional theatrical window, which usually mandates a film cannot be made available on digital or DVD within 90 days of its cinematic debut.

The Hunt has generated a lot of controversy

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Films including The Invisible Man, Birds of Prey, Bloodshot and Onward have been made available to watch at home, including in Australia.

It’s possible other movies which have been released overseas, albeit for a short while, but had not yet had its Australian cinema release, will also make its way to digital platforms.

Yesterday, Sony announced the forthcoming Steve Coogan comedy Greed will now skip its theatrical release and go straight to home entertainment in July.

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the global film industry, with TV and movie productions suspended and the release schedule scrambled.

Among the blockbuster films delayed are No Time To Die, Black Widow, Maverick and Wonder Woman 1984.

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