Apple TV’s The Hunt facing plagiarism allegations

Apple TV’s last-minute decision to pull French thriller Traqués (aka The Hunt) from its December launch date was down to allegations of plagiarism, it has emerged.

The series was produced by Gaumont and had been due to launch globally on Apple TV on 3 December, but the roll-out was paused, with all marketing removed from the streamer’s site last week.

French media commentator Clement Garin then posted in his Substack that the show’s plot followed the same storyline of Douglas Fairburn’s 1973 novel Shoot, which was adapted into a film of the same name in 1976.

Gaumont confirmed to Broadcast International that the show’s release had been postponed while it explores the allegations.

Traqués, which had been set to become Apple TV’s fourth French-language show, was created by Cédric Anger (Paris Pigalle), who is also attached as writer and director.

The story of the series follows a group of friends who go hunting, only to find themselves the target of another party of hunters. After one of their group is shot, the friends escape but continue to feel as if they are being watched by those looking for revenge.

In a statement to Broadcast International, Gaumont said: “The release of broadcast of Traqués has been temporarily postponed. We are currently conducting thorough research to address any questions related to our production.

“We take the issue of intellectual property very seriously.”

Rebecca Leffler contributed to this report.