French filmmaker Luc Besson has renewed his public dispute with local hunters who he says frequently trespass on his Normandy estate while pursuing deer, escalating tensions that have already resulted in two legal cases. Besson, known for directing films including Nikita, The Fifth Element, and The Big Blue, accused hunters of "decapitating stags in front of my home and leaving the carcasses to rot," a claim he made in a recent post on the social media platform X, accompanied by a graphic photograph.

The 67-year-old director described the situation as a continuation of troubling events after a stag was killed on his property last year in a manner he found particularly distressing. He wrote, "After cutting a stag's throat under the eyes of my mother last year, it's open season again!" His mother, then 85, reportedly witnessed the killing of the animal with a dagger on the terrace of their home in Orne, Normandy, during an incident in February 2025 when the stag was chased onto the property by hounds.

In response to that incident, court proceedings led to the conviction of two men who were found guilty of hunting without permission on Besson's land. Their hunting licenses were suspended, and they were required to complete a hunting regulations awareness course in addition to paying fines and damages. At the trial, Besson described the hunters’ actions as "odious" and called them "murderers."

The dispute between Besson and local hunting groups dates further back. In 2019, the hunters’ federation in the region sued the filmmaker for €130,000, alleging that he had violated laws by allowing deer to multiply excessively across his 160-hectare estate, which they claimed caused damage to adjacent farmland. This lawsuit was ultimately dismissed by the courts.

The ongoing conflict reflects deeper tensions between private landowners and hunting organizations in rural France, where hunting remains a traditional activity but can sometimes clash with property rights and local interests. While Besson condemns the hunters’ methods and unauthorized entry onto his land, local hunting advocates have argued over property and wildlife management issues, including concerns about deer populations affecting agricultural areas.

The feud illustrates the complexities of regulating hunting practices in areas where private property rights and longstanding rural traditions intersect. As of now, no further legal actions have been announced, but both sides remain vocal about their positions on the management and ethics of hunting on and around Besson’s estate.