Hunt for the Wilderpeople: A Wild Adventure in the New Zealand Wilderness

What if you ran away into the wild woods with a grumpy old man? In Hunt for the Wilderpeople, a troubled boy named Ricky escapes to the forest with his grumpy foster uncle, Hec. They’re both on the run after a misunderstanding, and soon they become part of a big adventure where they’re chased by the police, but also learn to rely on each other.

One fan theory is that Hec and Ricky’s bond might be more than just survival—they could be forming the ultimate father-son relationship, even if they don’t realize it at first. What if Hec was always meant to be Ricky’s true family?

A key moment happens when Ricky decides to stop running and faces his fears, choosing to stick by Hec. What if, instead of running, they decided to build a peaceful life in the wilderness, never needing to face the outside world?

In an alternate ending, maybe Ricky stays with Hec, but instead of escaping, they help the community by sharing their wild adventures. A prequel could show Hec’s past, how he ended up in the wilderness, and what made him such a loner before Ricky came into his life.