Severance was an acclaimed hit for Apple TV+. The series gathered love from critics and audiences with a plot that… ended on quite the cliffhanger! The season finale hit screens in April 2022, and it’s been almost three years since. So, what gives?
With season two set to (finally) premiere on January 17, 2025, creator Dan Erickson and executive producer/director Ben Stiller sat down for an in-depth chat with Vanity Fair, providing some insight into the challenges that delayed the show’s return.
Stiller highlighted the production hurdles, including the impact of the WGA strike. “It took a while to write season two. Then we started to shoot in October of 2022, and we got shut down by the strike in May [2023],” Stiller explained. “At that point, we had completed about 7 of our 10 episodes, and then we had to regroup after the strike” Filming resumed in January 2024 and wrapped in May, allowing the creative team to finish the remaining three episodes.
Erickson said that the intricate nature of the show’s dual-world narrative made the writing process particularly time-consuming. “On a practical level, it’s a very intricate show. Each character has two lives—essentially, two personalities—and we are expanding,” Erickson shared. “For me, the writing was the most painstaking part of the process because there were so many ways we could go.”
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The show’s ambitious scope also led to some significant last-minute changes – a headache for both scheduling and financing. Erickson described the difficult decisions made during production: “[We had] entire locations that we were planning to go to. We had already built or partially built them when we realised, ‘Oh, that’s not going to work.’ Those aren’t always fun calls to have with the studio.” He added, “But again, at the end of the day, it’s worth it.”
Despite the delays, Erickson and Stiller emphasised their commitment to maintaining high standards. “We were never willing to let [issues] turn it into something that wasn’t perfect,” Erickson said.
The critically acclaimed psychological thriller has captivated audiences with a unique premise, strong performances, and stylish direction. Led by Adam Scott as Mark Scout, the series explores the unsettling implications of Lumon Industries’ “severance” programme, which surgically divides employees’ work and personal memories. The cast includes Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman, Zach Cherry, Jen Tullock, Michael Chernus, Dichen Lachman, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, and Patricia Arquette, all of which return for season 2.
As the countdown to January 2025 begins, fans can take solace in knowing the wait is almost over—and get further hyped knowing that the creatives have put in the effort to deliver a worthy second chapter.
