Jessica Chastain is pushing back against Apple’s decision to postpone her new series in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s death. The Savant, which was set to premiere this Friday, stars Chastain as an undercover investigator infiltrating online hate groups in an effort to stop domestic terrorism before it happens. Chastain also serves as one of the show’s executive producers. On Tuesday, Apple TV+ announced that it was pulling the show from the schedule after “careful consideration” and that it looks “look forward to releasing the series at a future date.”
That wasn’t a good enough explanation for Chastain, who posted a statement of her own to social media on Wednesday. The actress said that while she “deeply respects” her “incredible collaborators” at Apple, “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,” Chastain wrote, “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.”
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These incidents, Chastain argued, make The Savant more timely than ever. “I’ve never shied away from difficult subjects, and while I wish this show wasn’t so relevant, unfortunately it is,” she wrote. “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,” Chastain added, “I remain hopeful the show will reach audiences soon.” Exactly how hopeful is she? Well, she said she would tell her fans “if and when” The Savant gets a new release date.
All of this comes on the heels of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel debacle, in which the Disney-owned company removed the late-night host from the air following a conservative outcry and pressure from the FCC over Kimmel’s remarks surrounding Kirk’s death. In this situation, however, it seems like Apple is preemptively trying to avoid backlash from the Trump administration and its supporters. And to that I say: Grow a spine, and let us watch Jessica Chastain do internet espionage or whatever this show is about. If ABC can let Kimmel back on the air, I should be allowed to watch Chastain fall into a rabbit hole on 4chan.
