Chastain Questions Whether Apple TV+ Will Air The Savant After Pause

Apple TV+ has postponed the premiere of The Savant, a thriller about right-wing extremism starring Jessica Chastain, after careful consideration, the streamer said on Tuesday. The series had been set to debut Friday, Sept. 26, but Apple announced the pause on Sept. 23 and has not disclosed a new release date.

Chastain, in an Instagram post on Wednesday, said she values her partnership with Apple but that the two parties are not aligned on pausing the release. The Savant follows an undercover investigator known as 'The Savant' who infiltrates online hate groups to stop domestic extremists before they act.

Chastain said there has been an unfortunate amount of violence in the United States in the five years since production began on the series, pointing to the kidnapping attempt on Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer; the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol; assassination attempts on President Trump; 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 in California; and more than 300 school shootings across the country. She said these incidents illustrate a broader mindset that crosses the political spectrum and must be confronted.

'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,' she wrote. She concluded by saying she respects Apple’s decision to pause the release and that she remains hopeful the show will reach audiences soon.

Apple’s pause came just under two weeks after the assassination of Kirk, a conservative activist who was shot while speaking at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. A spokesman for Apple could not immediately provide a new air date, and no updated release plan was announced.