Jessica Chastain has spoken out after Apple TV+ delayed the release of her thriller series, “The Savant,” in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
“I want to say how much I value my partnership with Apple,” the actress, 48, wrote on Instagram Wednesday. “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 continued: “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,” the Oscar winner said. “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,” Chastain added. “Until then, I’m wishing safety and strength for everyone, and I’ll let you know if and when The Savant is released.”
The Post has reached out to Apple for comment.
On Tuesday, Apple TV+ announced 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.”
“The Savant” was supposed to premiere its first two episodes on Friday, Sept. 26, with the remaining six episodes set to come out weekly.
The Apple TV+ app now says the limited series is “coming at a later date.”
Apple’s official description for the series reads: “The tense and high-stakes thriller follows an undercover investigator known as ‘The Savant’ as she infiltrates online hate groups in an effort to stop domestic extremists before they act.”
Melissa James Gibson created the show, which is based on Andrea Stanley’s 2019 Cosmopolitan story titled “Is It Possible to Stop a Mass Shooting Before It Happens?”
Chastain, 48, plays Jodi Goodwin / The Savant in the show. She’s also one of the executive producers.
The cast also includes Nnamdi Asomugha, Pablo Schreiber, Cole Doman, Dagmara Domińczyk, James Badge Dale, Jordana Spiro, Trinity Lee Shirley, Toussaint Francois Battiste and Michael Mosley.
During an interview with RadioTimes published Tuesday, Chastain acknowledged the series connects to real-life events.
“I hate that this show is relevant. I hate it,” Chastain stated. “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,” Chastain continued. “And the ones who aren’t are the ones who make the loudest noise. But there’s more power in goodness.”
The “Zero Dark Thirty” actress also said that filming “The Savant” made her “more hopeful” about the troubling issues the series raises.
“But I always choose to live from a place of hope,” she added.
Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative activist, was fatally shot with a single bullet to the neck while speaking at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. Alleged assassin Tyler Robinson, 22, has since been arrested and charged.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
