Is politics downstream from culture, or is it the other way around? Does entertainment then fit into the bracket of culture? Whatever… as just about everything is now downstream from recent events, and it will be that way for a while. Example: Apple TV+ has reportedly indefinitely postponed the premiere of its new series The Savant, starring Jessica Chastain.
Chastain stars as an unassuming woman with a mysterious side hustle. She is a military veteran who works at the Anti-Hate Alliance, where she secretly visits 4Chan-like message boards and poses as a white nationalist to identify possible terrorists before they can act.
An Apple TV+ spokesperson gave a statement to The Hollywood Reporter:
“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.”
The series was supposed to premiere its first two episodes this Friday before dropping weekly.
Chastain herself then gave her opinion, and it wasn’t pretty:
“I want to say how much I value my partnership with Apple. They’ve been incredible collaborators and I deeply respect their team. That said, I wanted to reach out and let you know that 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: 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 honoring 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.”
In related news, there was a report on Indiewire that claimed director Andrea Arnold has exited the Scarlett Johansson-led project Featherwood. The subject matter of this movie? The “increasing risk” from right-wing domestic terrorist groups, this time, Neo-Nazis in Texas.
That famous Mitchell & Webb gif feels applicable here.
