Apple TV finally makes necessary changes and announces new premiere date for The Hunt post plagiarism takedown, details explored

Apple TV has set a new premiere date for the French-language thriller The Hunt, which will now debut March 4 after a three-month delay tied to a plagiarism investigation on director and creator Cédric Anger.

The drama, which consists of six episodes, was originally slated for release last year in December, but the release was halted in November after the "originally created" show turned out to be based on Douglas Fairbairn's 1973 novel Shoot, which had already been adapted for the screen by Harvey Hart in 1976.

After the similarities came to light, Apple TV put the show on hold, and an internal review was conducted, which identified the right holders and obtained the necessary authorizations. Following new agreements with estates connected to the novel and film, the series is now officially billed as being based on Fairbairn’s Shoot. Updated credits reflect that change.

Production company Gaumont made a statement about the investigation and said,

“Originally scheduled for December 2025, The Hunt‘s release was postponed after it was identified in November 2025 that the project, presented as an original work, was based on an existing work, Douglas Fairbairn’s Shoot. As soon as this information came to its attention, Gaumont, the series’ producer, immediately took the necessary steps to identify the rights holders, and obtain the required authorizations. Respect for works and authors’ rights is a fundamental principle for Gaumont, which can only be exercised with the trust and transparency of creative artists.”

More details about The Hunt

The Hunt, known in France as Traqués, is Apple TV+'s latest French-language thriller produced by Gaumont and distributed by Apple TV+. The story follows Franck, played by Benoît Magimel, whose hunting weekend with his friends becomes violent and deadly when a rival group of hunters begins shooting at them without warning. After one of Franck’s friends is shot, the group fights back and escapes, choosing to keep the incident a secret.

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They return home and try to get back to their normal lives, but paranoia quickly takes over as Franck becomes convinced that he is being watched by someone along with his friends. They are even getting hunted, he suspects. The tension builds as suspicion fractures their sense of safety, turning the wilderness encounter into a psychological siege.

The six-episode series is executive produced by Sidonie Dumas, Isabelle Degeorges, Clémentine Vaudaux, and Alexis Barqueiro. Following earlier delays, the first two episodes are set to premiere globally on March 4, with new episodes releasing weekly through April 1.

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