“Severance” has resumed production on Season 2. This comes after the series was delayed due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes that took place in 2023.
Series director Ben Stiller posted about the return on X. “Back to work,” Stiller’s post read alongside a repost from the official Apple TV account of Adam Scott’s character running.
The Emmy-winning corporate horror drama began filming for Season 2 in October of 2022. Filming was originally set to wrap on May 12, 2023, but on May 8 production on the series was shut down due to the start of the WGA strike. Altogether, the Writers’ Guild of America strike lasted 148 days, tying it with the 1960 strike as the second longest labor stoppage that the WGA has performed. It was followed in July 14 by the SAG-AFTRA strike, which lasted 118 days.
Created by Dan Erickson and directed by Stiller, “Severance” follows the employees of a fictional corporation named Lumon Industries that offers its workers a unique option: the ability to completely sever their work and personal lives. When employees are at work, their “innies” have no memory or awareness of what they do outside of the office. Likewise, “outies” have no knowledge of what goes on during working hours. Due to this sharp divide, the innies and the outies of the same person develop distinct personalities. It all comes to a head as the innies start to scheme up ways to escape their corporate prison.
The series stars Adam Scott (“Parks and Recreation”), Britt Lower (“Man Seeking Woman”), Zach Cherry (“You”), John Turturro (“Barton Fink,” “Oh Brother, Were Art Thou?”), Christopher Walken (“The Deer Hunter”), Patricia Arquette (“Escape at Dannemora,” “The Act”), Tramell Tillman (“Godfathers of Harlem”), Jen Tullock (“Perry Mason”) and Dichen Lachman (“Animal Kingdom”).
During the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, the series was nominated for 14 awards, including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. It ultimately took home the awards for Outstanding Main Title Design and Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score).
