Three days before Jessica Chastain’s limited series The Savant was set to premiere last September, Apple TV abruptly postponed the show in the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk. “We appreciate your understanding and look forward to releasing the series at a future date,” the streamer said.
Now, nearly five months later, neither the streaming service nor any of the primary players involved in the show have offered any clarity about its fate.
Questions around the miniseries resurfaced after Apple held a press event earlier this month in Santa Monica announcing a slate of new shows, original films, and returning series for the upcoming year. The Savant was absent from the list.
It’s an unusual and near-unprecedented months-long delay, especially for a project backed by an A-list star in Chastain, whose production company Freckle Films spent five years developing and making the show.
Based on a 2019 Cosmopolitan article, the limited series follows an undercover investigator, played by Chastain, who infiltrates domestic extremist groups to thwart catastrophic large-scale attacks. Although the show isn’t believed to have any direct parallels to the events surrounding conservative podcaster Kirk’s death on Sept. 10, its premise revolves around online extremism, radicalized hate groups, and themes of political violence.
Apple TV did not respond to Rolling Stone’s multiple requests for comment regarding the show’s future, nor did it respond to questions of whether the program was being shopped around to other distributors. Representatives for Chastain also did not reply to requests for comment.
Last week, eagle-eyed fans spied The Savant listed as “coming soon” on Prime Video, but the title card was missing the Apple TV logo that similar cross-streamed programs have. A representative for Prime told Rolling Stone that it was not taking over the show’s release, and was waiting on Apple TV to move forward with the series.
Chastain previously voiced frustration with the decision, writing on Instagram the day after the postponement that she was “not aligned on the decision to pause the release.” She noted the”unfortunate amount of violence” in the U.S. that appeared to have no effect on if a show aired — including hundreds of school shootings, the attempted kidnapping of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the failed assassination attempt on President Donald Trump, and the political assassination of two Minnesota Democratic representatives.
“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,” she wrote. “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.”
Chastain ended the lengthy note with a hint of skepticism about whether the series would ever air at all. “I remain hopeful the show will reach audiences soon,” she wrote. “Until then, I’m wishing safety and strength for everyone, and I’ll let you know if and when The Savant is released.”
