Apple TV series 'The Hunt' postponed amid plagiarism accusations
Apple TV removed the French thriller The Hunt from its schedule days before its December 3 debut after a journalist alleged the plot plagiarized the 1973 novel Shoot.
November 26, 2025 - 07:54 PM ET • 2 min read
Apple TV has removed the French thriller series The Hunt from its streaming schedule just days before its planned debut, following accusations that the show's plot plagiarized a 1973 American novel.
The series, known in French as À l'Ombre des Forêts, was originally scheduled to premiere its first two episodes on December 3. Gaumont, the French production company behind the series, confirmed the postponement Tuesday, stating that they are conducting a thorough review into the matter.
"The broadcast of our series 'The Hunt' has been temporarily postponed," Gaumont said in a statement. "We are currently conducting a thorough review to address any questions related to our production. We take intellectual property matters very seriously."
The decision by Apple came after reports surfaced regarding the striking similarities between the series' narrative and the novel Shoot, a thriller written by American author Douglas Fairbairn and published in 1973. The book was later adapted into a film in 1976.
The controversy was brought to light by French media journalist Clément Garin, who reported on the alleged plagiarism. Garin specifically noted that the series' screenwriter, Cédric Anger, had reportedly not informed Apple TV that the show was an adaptation of Fairbairn's work.
The novel Shoot was translated into French in 1974 under the title *La Traque*, which translates to *The Hunt*.
Reports indicate that the core narrative similarity centers on a group of hunters who encounter a hostile group during a hunting trip. The plot of The Hunt follows the character Franck and his longtime friends who encounter hostile hunters while on a hunting excursion. Following a fatal incident, the group reportedly opts for a pact of silence, a key element shared by both works.
The Hunt stars César award winners Benoît Magimel and Mélanie Laurent. Following the decision to pull the series, press releases and official trailers for the show have been removed from Apple's site, according to reports.