Jason Blum, a leading horror movie producer known for hits like Paranormal Activity and The Purge, revealed that one of his Blumhouse films, The Hunt, suffered a significant setback due to fake news surrounding its release. Despite the film’s potential, misleading narratives fueled by fabricated stories damaged its reputation before audiences had a chance to see it, contributing heavily to its poor performance. This issue made a lasting impact on Blum’s career, highlighting the destructive power of false information in the film industry.
The Hunt, featuring Betty Gilpin, tells the story of wealthy elites hunting down members of society they disdain. The premise alone became a target of misunderstanding and controversy, which ultimately undermined the movie’s success.
Two Blumhouse Projects Jason Blum Regrets Losing
In a recent Variety interview, Blum opened up about two projects he regrets every day: Jem and the Holograms and The Hunt. Though both films had strong creative teams behind them, Blum feels they deserved better outcomes. He stated,
“The Hunt got everything right, but fake news killed the movie. It broke my heart, because there was a false narrative that got attached to the movie that destroyed it. It was too bad, and it would’ve been a huge hit and have been great for the culture.”
Blum contrasts The Hunt with Jem and the Holograms, acknowledging that despite the latter having commendable direction from Jon M. Chu, it simply did not connect with audiences. However, for The Hunt, he attributes the failure directly to the false stories that circulated prematurely. These rumors arose before anyone had seen the film, mostly fueled by misinterpretations of early trailers, which caused a widespread negative response.
Blum expressed deep frustration that these uncontrollable external forces prevented viewers from experiencing the movie as intended, admitting this remains his biggest regret in managing Blumhouse productions. While he hopes such damage will not happen again, he accepts that the risk remains.
Why Controversy Turned Viewers Away from The Hunt
The controversy surrounding The Hunt stemmed from polarized reactions that mirrored broader political divides. Conservatives feared the film depicted them as targets being hunted by liberals, while liberals accused the movie of portraying Trump supporters as aggressors hunting down others. This double-sided misconception created a defensive wall where neither side wanted to engage with the actual content.
Jason Blum commented that no one seriously discussing the film in the media had actually watched it or read the script; instead, they spread misinformation to attract attention and views. The movie’s intended satire and commentary were overshadowed by disinformation, leaving many audiences unwilling to give it a chance.
Financially, The Hunt had a production budget of $14 million, a modest sum for its genre, which under normal circumstances would typically be recouped through box office sales. However, the film grossed only $12.4 million worldwide, with $5.8 million from the domestic market. Despite this, it attained a moderate 57% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 66% approval from audiences, indicating that some viewers appreciated its qualities.
The movie’s timing during the COVID-19 pandemic compounded its problems. With most theaters closed, it played mainly at drive-in locations, and its debut weekend recorded the lowest box office figures since 1998. This severely limited its exposure and revenue potential, contributing further to its commercial failure.
The Hunt’s Storyline Lacked Freshness and Depth
Beyond external obstacles, The Hunt faced inherent challenges in its storytelling. Although Jason Blum believed deeply in the movie’s cultural relevance, it was, in essence, a retelling of a much older narrative familiar to cinephiles. Its plot closely resembles that of the classic film The Most Dangerous Game, where elite hunters stalk shipwreck survivors for sport. This story has been admired in film history and is included in the Criterion Collection for its cinematic significance.
The theme was similarly revisited in the 1994 action-thriller Surviving the Game, featuring Rutger Hauer as a wealthy group who hunt down a homeless man, played by Ice-T, for entertainment. Both earlier works explore similar ideas of elitist hunting prey, leaving little novel to be claimed by The Hunt.
Despite this, The Hunt aimed to reach a new generation unfamiliar with those past films, injecting dark humor and incorporating contemporary themes such as online conspiracies and cancel culture. The movie illustrated the elite characters targeting those who dared to offend them on the internet, adding a modern twist that distinguished it from its predecessors.
Betty Gilpin’s performance as the film’s heroine was widely praised. She portrayed the “Final Girl” who fights back against the wealthy predators, embodying resilience and defiance within the story’s framework.
The Combined Weight of Fake News and the Pandemic Sealed The Hunt’s Fate
Ultimately, the collision of multiple factors led to The Hunt becoming a commercial and critical disappointment. The spread of fake news created a damaging narrative that scared audiences away before the movie’s release. At the same time, the restrictions imposed by the pandemic limited its theatrical availability and audience reach.
Moreover, the film’s lack of originality left it vulnerable to criticism and failing to resonate deeply enough to overcome those hurdles. Jason Blum’s reflections show the emotional toll of these uncontrollable influences on a movie he believed deserved much more. The disappointment remains a vivid reminder of how external forces like misinformation and unprecedented global events can derail even the most promising projects in the entertainment world.
