Author: Trafficblast

Last week, it was announced that the action horror movie The Hunt had been pulled from release schedules by distributors Universal, following the shootings in El Paso and Dayton and criticism from President Donald Trump. Now director Craig Zobel has commented on the film’s cancellation.

The film is a variation on the familiar plot used in movie such as The Most Dangerous Game, Battle Royale, and The Hunger Games, in which humans hunt each other for sport or survival. In an interview with Variety, Zobel explained that the movie had been misrepresented in the press, and that it satirized both sides of the political divide. “If I believed this film could incite violence, I wouldn’t have made it,” he said. “Our ambition was to poke at both sides of the aisle equally. We seek to entertain and unify, not enrage and divide. It is up to the viewers to decide what their takeaway will be.

“I wanted to make a fun, action thriller that satirized this moment in our culture–where we jump to assume we know someone’s beliefs because of which ‘team’ we think they’re on… and then start shouting at them. This rush to judgment is one of the most relevant problems of our time.”

Nevertheless, Zobel stated that he supported the decision to pull the movie following the tragedies in El Paso and Dayton. “I was devastated by going to sleep to El Paso and waking up to Dayton,” he said. “These types of moments happen far too often. In the wake of these horrific events, we immediately considered what it meant for the timing of our film. Once inaccurate assumptions about the content and intent of the movie began to take hold, I supported the decision to move the film off its release date.”

The Hunt is produced by Blumhouse Films, who also made The Purge series, as well as movies like Get Out, Us, and Paranormal Activity. It’s co-written by Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof and stars Betty Gilpin, Emma Roberts, Hilary Swank, and Glen Howerton. The movie’s trailer was released at the start of August.

The movie was set for release on September 27, but it was pulled on August 11. The studio commented on the cancellation, stating: “After thoughtful consideration, the studio has decided to cancel our plans to release the film. 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.”

During the latest Inside Xbox, seven new titles were announced for Game Pass. All seven will be available via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with six available via Xbox Game Pass and one available via the PC version of Xbox Game Pass.

If you only use Game Pass on Xbox One, you’ll be able to play Devil May Cry 5 and Stellaris starting today with Ape Out, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Bard’s Tale IV: Directors’ Cut, and Blair Witch coming later in the month. Blair Witch will be available August 30, as it’s already been announced that the game will be coming to Game Pass on day one. On the PC version of Game Pass, Age of Empires: Definitive Edition is available starting today.

Of the games being added to Game Pass, both Devil May Cry 5 and Blair Witch are the two notable standouts. Devil May Cry 5 is one of our most highly rated action games of the year, while Blair Witch caught our attention at E3 2019 with its surprise announcement and spooky-looking, Outlast-like gameplay.

In GameSpot’s Devil May Cry 5 review, Matt Espineli wrote, “DMC5 thrives on the stylistic and mechanical prowess of its predecessors. It sticks to tradition above all else, pursuing a few ambitious new ideas along the way, but mostly maintaining the series’ focus on intricate fighting systems and campy bravado. Rarely does the game stumble, consistently leveraging its spectacle and mechanical depth to push aside any small frustrations. All the while, the story exudes a charismatic charm that keeps you constantly intrigued as you’re refining your skills. DMC5 proves the series can still be brilliant and imaginative without compromising its longest-held traditions.”

New Game Pass Titles

August 19

• Age of Empires: Definitive Edition (Xbox Game Pass for PC, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)
• Devil May Cry 5: (Xbox Game Pass for Console, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)
• Stellaris: (Xbox Game Pass for Console, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and coming soon to Xbox Game Pass for PC)

August 22

• Ape Out: (Xbox Game Pass for PC, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance — (Xbox Game Pass for Console, Xbox Game Pass for PC, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)

August 27

• Bard’s Tale IV: Director’s Cut — (Xbox Game Pass for Console, Xbox Game Pass for PC, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)

August 30

September 5

• Dead Cells: (Xbox Game Pass for Console, Xbox Game Pass for PC, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)

Stephen Amell says he’s done moonlighting as a professional wrestler, but he’s not quite finished with the wrestling industry. With The CW’s Arrow currently filming its eighth and final season, the star has already lined up his next project. He will play a small town wrestler in an upcoming Starz drama.

The news comes from TVLine, which reports Amell has signed on to star in Heels, an eight-episode series about a small-town wrestling persona. The current Green Arrow will play Jack, who is the main villain of a regional wrestling group in Georgia known as the Duffy Wrestling Association. When he’s not in the ring, Jack is the owner of the company, as well as a husband and father trying to make ends meet while keeping the DWA alive–and build it into a wrestling empire.

There are few other details about the project at this point. However, TVLine reveals the show will revolve around Jack and his brother, who are at war over the family-owned wrestling company and the legacy left by their late father.

Amell’s first foray into the wrestling industry came with a match at WWE SummerSlam in 2015. He followed that with a bout in Ring of Honor in 2017 and his final match at 2018’s All Out. The actor recently told GameSpot that chances of him getting back in the ring were incredibly slim. He’s still clearly interested in the industry though–and the friends he’s made in it. Already, Amell has asked All Elite Wrestling’s Cody Rhodes to join him on the series via Twitter. Rhodes previously appeared in multiple episodes of Arrow.

A premiere for Heels has not been announced at this point. Amell is currently filming the final episodes of Arrow, as well as the upcoming Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event.