Jessica Chastain has shared a welcome update on her Apple TV thriller The Savant after it was postponed last year.
The drama, which will follow an undercover investigator known as The Savant as she infiltrates online hate groups in an effort to stop domestic extremists, was due to begin last September, with the streamer confirming that the release had been pushed back.
No new release date was confirmed at the time but now Chastain has confirmed, after some uncertainty, that the show will definitely still be coming to screens.
She told Variety: “Before it was like, ‘I don’t know if we’re going to see it,’ but now I can say, ‘We’re going to see it.'”
The outlet also cites sources as saying the thriller will likely be released this July. Radio Times has contacted Apple TV for comment.
In September, Apple TV confirmed the release date for The Savant had been postponed, with a spokesperson saying 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.”
While a reason for the postponement was not confirmed, Deadline reported that it was said to be related to the show’s subject matter.
Chastain later criticised the decision to postpone the series, saying in a statement that she and Apple TV weren’t “aligned” on it.
She added: “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. 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. 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.”
Chastain also previously told Radio Times that, despite the show’s subject matter, the series still made her feel “hopeful”, because she always chooses “to live from a place of hope”.
“I hate that this show is relevant,” she said. “I hate it. 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. And the ones who aren’t are the ones who make the loudest noise. But there’s more power in goodness.”
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