Jessica Chastain, the star of the Apple TV+ series The Savant, said Wednesday that she does not agree with the platform’s decision to postpone its release.
Apple said Tuesday that it made the decision to postpone the thriller after “careful consideration.” The political undertones of the show, which sees Chastain star as a top-secret undercover investigator, nicknamed “The Savant,” who infiltrates online hate groups and takes them down from the inside, may have been deemed inappropriate in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination earlier this month.
On Instagram, Chastain explained her thoughts on the matter:
“I want to say how much I value my partnership with Apple. They’ve been incredible collaborators and I deeply respect their team,” Chastain wrote. “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,” she continued. “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 honoring 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.”
The Savant was supposed to premiere Sep. 26, with new episodes rolling out weekly. For now, Apple only says that it will be released “at a later date.”
