Jessica Chastain speaks out as Apple pulls her new show days before release
Oscar-winner Jessica Chastain says she and Apple are “not aligned” on their decision to pull her new show, days before its release.
Actress Jessica Chastain has announced that she is “not aligned” with Apple over the streamer’s decision to pull her new show from its schedule, just days before it was due to be released on the streamer.
Oscar winner Chastain stars in the new series The Savant, which follows a woman who works as part of an anti-hate group, infiltrating white supremacist groups to shut down potential threats before they lead to violence.
The show was set to premiere on Apple TV+ this weekend, but it has now been postponed, no new release date given.
“After careful consideration, we have made the decision to postpone The Savant,” a spokesperson for Apple said in a statement to the Guardian. “We appreciate your understanding and look forward to releasing the series at a future date.”
While Apple did not provide a reason for the postponement of the series, the trailer released to tease the program shows it has a strong focus on political violence in the US – a particularly hot-button topic since the death of Charlie Kirk earlier this month, and talk show host Jimmy Kimmel’s week-long suspension for comments he made about Kirk on-air.
“Snipers, bombings, ambushes, we’re on the verge of serious violence,” Chastain’s character says in the trailer.
“This guy isn’t just planning violence, he’s out to make a statement … innocent Americans are going to die.”
In a detailed statement issued on her Instagram account today, Chastain said that while she valued her working relationship with Apple, she did not agree with their decision to yank The Savant from their schedule.
“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,” Chastain wrote.
“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.”
Chastain wrote that she thought the rise in political violence illustrated “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,” she wrote.
Chastain finished her message to fans with a sentence that suggested she was now unsure whether the show would ever see the light of day.
“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,” she said.
Also starring Nnamdi Asomugha and Pablo Schreiber, The Savant is reportedly based on a real-life story that featured in a 2019 issue of Cosmopolitan, telling the story of a woman known as “the Savant” who infiltrated online hate groups to try and prevent violent public attacks before they happened.
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