The Savant

The Savant
Created by	Melissa James Gibson
Based on	"Is It Possible to Stop a Mass Shooting Before It Happens?" by Andrea Stanley
Screenplay by	Melissa James Gibson
Directed by	Matthew Heineman
Starring	Jessica Chastain Nnamdi Asomugha
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	8
Production
Executive producers	Jessica Chastain Melissa James Gibson Jessica Giles Kelly Carmichael
Producer	Brian Madden
Production companies	Freckle Films Fifth Season Anonymous Content
Original release
Network	Apple TV+

The Savant is an upcoming American crime thriller miniseries based on an article by Andrea Stanley. The series will be directed by Matthew Heineman, and is starring Jessica Chastain and Nnamdi Asomugha.

Premise

The series is reportedly inspired by a true-life story entitled "Is It Possible to Stop a Mass Shooting Before It Happens?" which featured in Cosmopolitan in August 2019 of a woman who has come to be known as "the Savant" who infiltrates online hate-groups in order to prevent large-scale public attacks.^[1]

Cast

Main

• Jessica Chastain as The Savant
• Nnamdi Asomugha

Recurring

• James Badge Dale
• Cole Doman
• Michael Mosley
• Dagmara Domińczyk
• Jordana Spiro
• Trinity Lee Shirley
• Toussaint Francois Battiste
• Hannah Gross
• David Wilson Barnes

Production

Development

The series is written by Melissa James Gibson, who also acts as show runner and executive producer. It is directed by Matthew Heineman and produced by Fifth Season and Anonymous Content. Kelly Carmichael of Freckle Films also executive produces alongside Jessica Chastain. Jessica Giles, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan Magazine and Brian Madden, senior VP of development for Hearst Magazines, will produce. Andrea Stanley, writer of the original Cosmopolitan magazine feature, will consult.^[2]

Casting

It was reported in Variety in March 2023, that Jessica Chastain had been cast in an eight-part series called The Savant for Apple TV.^[3] Chastain said that her performance in the role was designed to protect the anonymity of the real-life character because "I wouldn't want to look and behave exactly like her, because I want to keep her hidden."^[4] In February 2024, Nnamdi Asomugha joined the cast in a main role,^[5] while James Badge Dale was added in a recurring capacity.^[6] Additional casting was announced in March.^[7]

Filming

Filming was scheduled for September 2023 in New York.^[8] It would instead begin in April 2024.^[9]

Broadcast

The series is expected to be broadcast in the UK on Apple TV in 2024.^[10]

References

1. Chapman, Wilson (March 27, 2023). "Jessica Chastain Limited Series 'The Savant' Ordered at Apple TV+". Indie Wire. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
2. White, Peter (March 27, 2023). "Jessica Chastain To Star In Limited Series 'The Savant' For Apple". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
3. Otterson, Joe (March 27, 2023). "Jessica Chastain to Star in Apple Limited Series 'The Savant'". Variety. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
4. Hazel, Andy (December 23, 2023). "Actress Jessica Chastain". The Saturday Paper. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
5. Andreeva, Nellie (February 2, 2024). "The Savant: Nnamdi Asomugha Joins Jessica Chastain In Apple Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
6. James Badge Dale Joins Apple's 'The Savant' Limited Series Starring Jessica Chastain
7. Petski, Denise (April 3, 2024). "The Savant Apple Series Rounds Out Cast With 8, Including Jordana Spiro, Michael Mosley, Dagmara Dominczyk". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
8. Kundu, Tamal (July 6, 2023). "Jessica Chastain's The Savant Starts Shooting in New York in September". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
9. "Apple TV films driving scene for 'Savant' on Route 9 in Sleepy Hollow". longisland.news12.com. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
10. Heritage, Stuart; Abbott, Kate (December 28, 2023). "'Guaranteed to be a banger': the 50 must-see TV shows for 2024". The Guardian. Retrieved December 28, 2023.

External links

• The Savant at IMDb