The last-minute pulling of "The Hunt" just before its Apple TV premiere is allegedly due to plagiarism, as it apparently copies a Douglas Fairbairn novel from the '70s, and a film based on the book.

"The Hunt" was removed from the Apple TV app on November 20 without any official explanation given by Apple or the production team. It now seems that the show had a massive plagiarism problem.

According to French media expert Clement Garin, the show was allegedly harmed by the actions of director, creator, and screenwriter Cedric Anger. The show was apparently an adaptation of the novel "Shoot" by Douglas Fairbairn, published in 1973 and translated in 1974 as "The Hunt."

The show reportedly follows the main structure of the original novel, depicting a group of friends going hunting, but being attacked by other hunters. While one person was injured, the group stayed quiet and continued with their lives, but they felt that they were still being hunted and watched.

"Shoot" was also adapted in 1976 as a film directed by Harvey Hart and written by Richard Berg.

While it is unknown what has happened behind the scenes, it appears that the seeming plagiarism was discovered at the last minute, and that Apple and production company Gaumont worked to limit their legal exposure from a potential lawsuit.

That resulted in the extraordinary attempt by Apple to hide all references to the show's existence, including its press pages and trailers on multiple YouTube accounts. Actors and production crew are also not allowed to discuss the show, either.

It is also thought that Apple and Gaumont are considering suing Anger for the alleged deceit. However, with TV productions being expensive affairs, the companies may not be able to claw back all of the costs that went into the show.

There's also the question of what could be done with the show, since it's filmed and effectively ready for streaming. It's plausible that Apple could make a deal with the Fairbairn estate and the book's publishers, so it can be legitimately released eventually.

Doing so would make the show even more expensive to all involved, but with some chance to recoup its costs.