Apple TV+ is set to premiere The Savant, an eight-episode limited series starring Academy Award winner Jessica Chastain, on Friday, September 26, 2025. The series will debut with its first two episodes, followed by weekly releases through November 7.
Plot Overview
The Savant follows an undercover investigator, portrayed by Chastain, who infiltrates online hate groups to prevent domestic extremist attacks. The narrative is inspired by a 2019 Cosmopolitan article titled Is It Possible to Stop a Mass Shooting Before It Happens? which delves into the real-life efforts of an anonymous woman known as The Savant who works to thwart large-scale public attacks by penetrating online hate communities.
Cast and Crew
In addition to Chastain, the series features Nnamdi Asomugha, Cole Doman, Jordana Spiro, Trinity Lee Shirley, Toussaint Francois Battiste, and guest star Pablo Schreiber. Chastain also serves as an executive producer through her production company, Freckle Films.
Melissa James Gibson, known for her work on House of Cards, Anatomy of a Scandal, and The Americans, serves as the writer, showrunner, and executive producer. Matthew Heineman, an Academy Award nominee and six-time Emmy Award winner, directs and executive produces the series. The production is a collaboration between FIFTH SEASON and Anonymous Content.
Production Details
Filming for The Savant began in April 2024 in New York. The series is produced by FIFTH SEASON and Anonymous Content, with executive producers including Chastain, Gibson, Heineman, and Kelly Carmichael of Freckle Films. Jessica Giles, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, also serves as an executive producer, while Brian Madden, senior VP of development for Hearst Magazines, is a producer. Andrea Stanley, the author of the original Cosmopolitan article, acts as a consultant for the series.
Jessica Chastain’s Role
Chastain, renowned for her performances in Zero Dark Thirty, Interstellar, and The Eyes of Tammy Faye, brings depth to the role of The Savant. She has expressed a commitment to protecting the anonymity of the real-life individual by not mirroring her exactly, aiming to keep her identity concealed.
Anticipation and Release
The Savant is part of a robust lineup for Apple TV+ in September, which also includes the returns of Slow Horses and The Morning Show, as well as the crime thriller Highest 2 Lowest starring Denzel Washington. The series is expected to offer a compelling narrative that resonates with contemporary issues surrounding online extremism and domestic threats.
