Universal Pictures pulls thriller The Hunt in the wake of two mass shootings

“While Universal Pictures had already paused the marketing campaign for The Hunt, after thoughtful consideration, the studio has decided to cancel our plans to release the film,” A Universal spokesperson told CNN Business in a statement. “We stand by our filmmakers and will continue to distribute films in partnership with bold and visionary creators, like those associated with this satirical social thriller, but we understand that now is not the right time to release this film.”

“The Hunt,” an R-rated film produced by Jason Blum’s Blumhouse, is about twelve strangers waking up in a clearing, not yet aware they are the target of a violent and bloody hunt that involves guns and blades. In an already released trailer, a narrator explains that every year “elites” hunt average Americans from states like Wyoming and Mississippi for sport.

In the past week, some companies have responded to mass shootings in Texas and Ohio by trying to reduce the amount of violent media and video games being shown to Americans.