Severance is moving closer to its eagerly anticipated third season, with filming anticipated to start in the upcoming months, despite mounting excitement.
Proposals for additional seasons and potential franchise extensions are among the latest revelations surfaced regarding the series’ future as Apple moves it in-house. According to Deadline, “Apple hopes to begin filming in the summer,” however, the exact date is still subject to change based on the completion of the script.
For Season 3, the authors have completed six screenplays, outlined the seventh episode, and are still working on the additional screenplays. To prevent costly interruptions or retakes, which affected Season 2, executive producer Ben Stiller and creator Dan Erickson want to complete all scripts before filming begins.
In a deal apparently valued at about $70 million, Apple acquired Severance and all related rights from Fifth Season. The series will now be produced by Apple’s in-house Apple Studios, with Fifth Season continuing to serve as executive producer. This action comes after an analogous shift with Apple’s acquisition of Silo from AMC Studios.
Substantial production difficulties beset Severance’s second season, featuring an eight-and-a-half-month halt due to strikes in Hollywood, upheavals in the writers’ space, and expensive retakes. These problems were a factor in Fifth Season’s decision to offer up the licenses to Apple and seek monetary backing.
Kogonada, who previously served as Pachinko’s producer, will direct the next season. With Season 3 of Severance, Apple plans to keep up its goal of creating premium, exclusive material internally. While Stiller and Erickson will determine whether to move forward with a fifth season or expand the series with prequels, spinoffs, or overseas adaptations, Apple Studios is aiming for a four-season run.
