Apple TV+ delays release of new series The Savant about online hate groups

LOS ANGELES – Apple TV+ has postponed the release of its show The Savant, starring American actress Jessica Chastain as an undercover investigator who infiltrates online hate groups to stop mass shootings. The miniseries was set to begin streaming its first two episodes on Sept 26.

Apple did not give a reason for its postponement, which it announced on Sept 23, saying in a brief statement only that the decision was made after “careful consideration”. It did not announce a new release date.

Two people with knowledge of the discussions said the company was reluctant to release the show in the current political climate, after the

assassination of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk

on Sept 10.

Chastain, who is also an executive producer on the show, took to social media on Sept 24 to push back against the decision.

“We are not aligned on the decision to pause the release of The Savant,” the 48-year-old wrote on Instagram, Facebook and X.

The actress then listed a number of violent acts that have occurred in the US since they started making the show five years ago, including the attempted kidnapping of Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020; the assassination attempts on US President Donald Trump in 2024; the Jan 6 riots in 2021; more than 300 school shootings across the country; and the assassination of Kirk.

“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 continued. “I’ve never shied away from difficult subjects, and while I wish this show wasn’t so relevant, unfortunately it is.”

The Savant is based on the Cosmopolitan article, Is It Possible To Stop A Mass Shooting Before It Happens?, by the magazine’s former features director Andrea Stanley. Written in 2019, the feature follows an unnamed investigator known as the Savant whose job revolves around identifying violent extremists before they commit heinous crimes.

“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,” Chastain said in her statement.

The show, created by New York-based playwright and screenwriter Melissa James Gibson, was supposed to debut on Sept 12. But Apple pushed back the release date in July so it would not be so close to Sept 11, according to the two people with knowledge of discussions about the show.

Chastain, who plays the lead character in the series, has been doing publicity for the show for weeks.

On Sept 16, she appeared on both The Drew Barrymore Show and Late Night With Seth Meyers, where Meyers called the work of her character “prescient today but has been for a while”. NYTIMES