#Sean Penn’s ‘C*A*U*G*H*T’ Hostage Satire Pulled From MIPCOM Amid Israel-Hamas War 

Amid breaking news coverage of the attacks on Israel, Fremantle has decided against bringing the Australian satirical comedy C*A*U*G*H*T, which stars and is executive produced by Sean Penn, to MIPCOM for promotion and international sales amid the expanding conflict with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.  

“In light of the current situation unfolding in Israel, we have taken the decision not to showcase C*A*U*G*H*T at MIPCOM this year. At this time, our hearts and thoughts are with our colleagues and our partners in Israel, and all those affected,” a Fremantle spokesperson said on Tuesday.

The Stan original comedy follows four Australian soldiers who are sent on a secret mission to a war-torn country. Mistaken for Americans, they are captured by freedom fighters and appear in a hostage video that goes viral.

When the soldiers reach celebrity status, they decide being caught might just be the best thing that could have happened to them, according to a synopsis from the producers. The satirical series, already picked up by the Stan network in Australia and the ITVX streaming service in the U.K., also stars Matthew Fox, Bella Heathcote, Bryan Brown and Erik Thomson.

After Hamas launched surprise attacks in Israel this past weekend, Israel mounted a military response and issued a formal declaration of war. 

C*A*U*G*H*T is created, produced and directed by Kick Gurry. The executive producer credits are also shared by Cailah Scobie and Amanda Duthie for Stan, while John Schwarz, Michael Schwarz and Brendan Donoghue are producing.  

The series is produced in association with Fremantle, which is handling international distribution.