Almost unanimous critical acclaim, two Emmy Awards and dozens of nominations for top prizes: The science fiction series Severance celebrated a triumph last year that led straight to the order of a second season. However, the sequel faces unexpected obstacles. Because the showrunners are said to be at odds and the second season will be delayed.
The behind-the-scenes drama of the sci-fi series explained
Severance was created by Dan Erickson, who was able to realize his first major project in Hollywood. In order to lift the series, he works as a showrunner (theoretically) together with the producer Mark Friedman. He can look back on decades of experience in the industry and was previously involved as a producer and writer on Wayward Pines and Nights at the Museum, for example.
However, the relationship between the two is said to have deteriorated during the production of season 1, as industry journalist Matt Belloni reports in his Puck newsletter. Erickson and Friedman would have met at the end of Season 1 “hated” and a “toxic working atmosphere” created.
Each episode of the sci-fi series is said to cost $20 million
AppleTV+
severity
Knowing about the problems at the time, Severance executive producer and director Ben Stiller set out to find a replacement for Friedman, who was leaving the project. However, he did not find what he was looking for, at least for Season 2. For Apple TV+’s planned season 3, he brought in House of Cards boss Beau Willimon, who is now helping out with season 2 as well.
The new episodes are currently being filmed, the two showrunners are said to no longer speak to each other, problems with the scripts and the budgets of the episodes are driving up the budget. According to the report, a single episode of Severance now costs $20 million. Delays in filming are inevitable.
That’s what director Ben Stiller says about the alleged problems
Ben Stiller placated fans of the sci-fi series. In a tweet, he contradicted the report, explaining that the series “Following the same slow schedule as always. With the same start date we’ve always had. We love our fans and each other and we’re all striving to make the series the best it can be.”
That is the basic idea of Severance
The sci-fi thriller Severance (ironically) tells of the problematic everyday life in an office of the future. Main character Mark (Adam Scott) goes to work every day and comes home again, but the whole thing has a dystopian twist: he works for a company whose employees have two states of consciousness, so to speak, and thus personalities. Work and leisure are completely separate. When Mark goes to work, he can’t remember anything that happened outside – not even the death of his wife. When he leaves the office, he no longer remembers the job. As the series progresses, however, Mark comes closer to the real reasons behind this radical separation of work and free time.
There is currently no release date for Severance Season 2 on Apple TV+.
Podcast for Sci-Fi Fans: Star Trek is the best it’s been in 20 years
Star Trek is one of the most important science fiction series ever. But after the beginning of the new millennium, the franchise slid into crisis. Attempts to restart split the fans – in the cinema as well as on television. Still, Star Trek is as good as it’s been in years.
At this point you will find external content that complements the article. You can show it and hide it again with one click.
In the new episode of the Moviepilot podcast, we explain why you should give the almost 60-year-old sci-fi series a chance and recommend three new series that are definitely worth watching.