The Hunt: Universal Pictures cancels film release

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, The film, featuring Hillary Swank, was due to be released on 27 September

Universal Pictures has pulled the release of The Hunt following a series of mass shootings and criticism from US President Donald Trump.

The Hunt, a satirical film in which liberals hunt Trump supporters and kill them for sport, was due to be released on 27 September.

Marketing of the film had already been put on hold following the El Paso and Dayton shootings.

Universal said the decision was made after "thoughtful consideration."

The Hunt's storyline is intended to reflect the divided nature of US politics.

One trailer for the film was pulled by ESPN. It was said to open with the sound resembling an emergency broadcast signal.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the liberal characters refer to their prey as "deplorables", a term used by Hillary Clinton to describe some of Mr Trump's fans in the run up too the 2016 elections.

Without naming the film, Mr Trump tweeted about an upcoming Hollywood release.

Video caption, What does this hat mean to Americans?

He said: "The movie coming out is made in order to inflame and cause chaos. They create their own violence and then try to blame others. They are the true racists and are very bad for our country!"

A statement from Universal said: "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."