WASHINGTON — Apple TV pulled a show off its platform and scrubbed it from the internet days before its premiere after plagiarism accusations, reports say.
The French-language thriller “Traqués” or “The Hunt” in English, was scheduled to release globally on the streaming platform Dec. 3 through Dec. 31.
French journalist Clément Garin was the first to report the mini-series being withheld. The allegations revolve around a similarity to the 1976 film adaptation of Douglas Fairbairn’s 1973 novel “Shoot.” The movie was directed by Harvey Hart and written by Richard Berg.
Apple TV removed press releases, trailers and other posts about the series on platforms across the internet, according to The Hollywood Reporter
“The broadcast of our series ‘The Hunt’ has been temporarily postponed,” French production company Gaumont told Entertainment Weekly. “We are currently conducting a thorough review to address any questions related to our production. We take intellectual property matters very seriously.”
The mini-series show, which was set to be six episodes, follows main character Franck played by Benoît Megimel and his friends who go hunting on the weekends together.
“One day, they encounter another hunting group who targets them. In self-defense, Franck’s group injures one of the attackers. Paranoia sets in as they feel hunted by now vengeful enemies,” the IMDb summary reads.
IMDb lists Megimel, Mélanie Laurent, Gratianne Lagauzère, Damien Bonnard, Manuel Guillot, Cédric Appietto, Angelyna Danabe-Mignot, Paul Beaurepaire, Yann Goven, Sarah Pachoud and Patrick De Vallette in the cast.
It’s unclear who raised the allegations or if the show will be released at a future date.
The show, if released, would be Apple TV’s fourth original French-language show, according to Deadline.
