Cliff Notes – Jessica Chastain Apple TV drama delayed in wake of Charlie Kirk assassination
- Apple TV Plus has postponed the release of Jessica Chastain’s thriller series, The Savant, originally scheduled for September 26, following the assassination of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk.
- The series, which focuses on an undercover investigator infiltrating online hate groups, is believed to have been affected by the recent violent events surrounding Kirk’s death.
- Chastain has expressed her dismay at the show’s relevance, highlighting the ongoing issue of domestic extremism and violence in society.
Jessica Chastain Apple TV drama delayed in wake of Charlie Kirk assassination
The release of Jessica Chastain’s Apple TV Plus series has been delayed (Picture: Elizabeth Fisher)
Apple TV Plus has decided to postpone the release of its new thriller series following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
The Savant, which sees Jessica Chastain investigate domestic extremists, had been set to premiere on September 26.
However, in a statement the streaming platform has said: ‘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 no reason was given for the delay, it is believed that the recent death of right-wing conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was an influence.
An official synopsis for the series states: ‘The tense and thrilling series follows an undercover investigator known as ‘The Savant’ (Jessica Chastain) as she infiltrates online hate groups in an effort to stop domestic extremists before they act.’
The thriller sees Chastain’s character investigate domestic extremists (Picture: Elizabeth Fisher)
The story is said to have been inspired by a 2019 Cosompolitan article that described an investigator known as the Savant, who ‘tracks angry men online’.
In the trailer, her character – who tries to stop violence being committed in the US by infliltrating online hate groups – warns about ‘snipers, bombings [and] ambushes’ being on the verge of ‘serious violence’.
She also describes another character by saying he ‘isn’t just planning violence, he’s out to make a statement … innocent Americans are going to die’.
In a previous interview with the Radio Times, Chastain said she ‘hates’ that the show is still relevant.
‘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,’ she explained.
Apple TV Plus said they decided to postpone the show’s release after ‘careful consideration’ (Picture: Elizabeth Fisher)
It is believed that Charlie Kirk’s death had an influence on the show not being released (Picture: Getty Images)
Yesterday it was revealed that Jimmy Kimmel is set to return to late-night TV after he was taken off air over his comments regarding Kirk.
The beloved host discussed the reception following the death of the right-wing political commentator – who was fatally shot while speaking at a campus event at Utah Valley University on September 10.
In the monologue for Monday’s show, the 57-year-old claimed that the ‘MAGA gang’ was trying to gain political points over the incident, leading to Disney and ABC pulling his show ‘indefinitely’.
After intense outrage from fans, and more than 400 celebrities signing an open letter condemning the decision, bosses have now backtracked and confirmed that Jimmy Kimmel Live will be back on the air on Tuesday.
The Savant Season 1 will be on Apple TV Plus.
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