A plagiarism investigation into Apple TV's "The Hunt" has ended after three months, and there is now a debut date for the thriller.
The six-episode French-language drama was scheduled to launch on December 3, 2025. In late November, it disappeared from Apple's platform after reports surfaced that it may have been mislabeled as an original work.
Apple removed The Hunt from listings and promotional placements days before its premiere without public explanation. Subsequent reporting indicated the series bore significant similarities to Douglas Fairbairn's 1973 novel Shoot and the 1976 U.S.-Canadian film adaptation of the same name.
The project had originally been sold as an original work from director Cedric Anger. After Apple learned of the alleged overlap, it notified producer Gaumont and paused the release roughly two weeks before launch while the production company conducted an internal review.
Rights secured, credits updated
According to Deadline, Gaumont identified the rights holders to Fairbairn's novel and secured the necessary authorizations. The series is now officially billed as being based on Shoot, and updated credits reflecting the source material have been restored on Apple's website and in the app.
The novel had previously been adapted into a feature film directed by Harvey Hart from a screenplay by Richard Berg. Fairbairn died in 1997.
Benoit Magimel stars as Franck, a man whose weekend hunting trip with friends turns violent when another group begins targeting them. Melanie Laurent co-stars as his wife, with Damien Bonnard, Manuel Guillot, Cedric Appietto, and Frederic Maranber also appearing in the series.
The first two episodes will premiere globally on March 4, followed by weekly installments through April 1.
What it means for Apple
Pulling a completed series days before launch is costly. Marketing campaigns and distribution placements are typically locked months in advance, making a late pause financially and operationally disruptive.
Apple chose to suspend the release rather than risk potential litigation tied to underlying intellectual property. That decision aligns with how the company positions Apple TV as a tightly curated service with careful oversight of branding and rights.
As streaming platforms expand international acquisition strategies, verifying source material and adaptation rights becomes more complex. The episode underscores the legal and reputational risks of labeling a project as original without clear documentation of underlying IP.
Apple now moves forward with corrected credits and a firm stance on how it handles intellectual property disputes, signaling that rights clarity takes priority over launch schedules.
