Jessica Chastain criticises Apple's decision to postpone new TV thriller days before release
The Savant was scheduled to debut on Friday 26th September.
Jessica Chastain has criticised Apple's decision to delay the release of her new thriller series The Savant.
That drama was set to start dropping episodes on Apple TV+ from Friday 26th September, but the streamer confirmed earlier this week that the release has been pushed back.
An Apple TV+ spokesperson said in a statement: "After careful consideration, we have made the decision to postpone The Savant. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to releasing the series at a future date."
However, taking to social media, Chastain wrote: "I want to say how much I value my partnership with Apple. They’ve been incredible collaborators and I deeply respect their team. That said, I wanted to reach out and let you know that we’re not aligned on the decision to pause the release of The Savant.
"In the last five years since we’ve been making the show, we’ve seen an unfortunate amount of violence in the United States: the kidnapping attempt on Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer; the January 6th attack on the Capitol; the assassination attempts on President Trump; the political assassinations of Democratic representatives in Minnesota; the attack on Speaker Pelosi’s husband; the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk; the recent shooting at an ABC affiliate station in California; and over 300 school shootings across this country.
"These incidents, though far from encompassing the full range of violence witnessed in the United States, illustrate a broader mindset that crosses the political spectrum and must be confronted. I’ve never shied away from difficult subjects, and while I wish this show wasn’t so relevant, unfortunately it is.
"The Savant is about the heroes who work every day to stop violence before it happens, and honouring their courage feels more urgent than ever. While I respect Apple’s decision to pause the release for now, I remain hopeful the show will reach audiences soon.
"Until then, I’m wishing safety and strength for everyone, and I’ll let you know if and when The Savant is released."
It has not yet been confirmed exactly why the release date has been pushed, but Deadline has reported that it is said to be related to the show's subject matter.
The synopsis for the series says: "The tense and thrilling series follows an undercover investigator known as The Savant (Jessica Chastain) as she infiltrates online hate groups in an effort to stop domestic extremists before they act."
Deadline's report notes that some of the show's imagery could be considered triggering following the recent assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk on 10th September.
The show includes shots of a sniper in action and the bombing of a government building.
Chastain recently told RadioTimes.com that, despite the show's subject matter, the series still made her feel "hopeful", because she always chooses "to live from a place of hope".
"I hate that this show is relevant," she said. "I hate it. I hate that there are mass acts of violence. But maybe through this conversation and through unearthing this darkness in society, then we're gonna work together to fix it.
"We're gonna work together to protect our children, to create some legislations, to put some guardrails on the things that they're seeing.
"I'm always going to navigate from a place of hope because I do think that at our core, humanity and people are good. And the ones who aren't are the ones who make the loudest noise. But there's more power in goodness."
The Savant is expected to premiere on Apple TV+ in future – sign up to Apple TV+ now.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
