Severance Season 2’s Filming Chaos Leads to Dramatic Budget Increase That Could Erase Studio Profits

The anticipated Severance season 2 recently premiered on Apple TV+, returning three years after the first season debuted. This lengthy hiatus can be attributed to a combination of factors, including industry strikes and creative disputes among the show’s production team. Reports indicate that the budget for this latest season skyrocketed, ultimately erasing the production studio’s profits.

Production Costs Surge for Severance Season 2

Discontent among the show’s creative leads, Dan Erickson and Mark Friedman, along with several abandoned scripts and ideas, contributed to a staggering cost increase. Each episode of Severance season 2 reportedly reached a production cost of $20 million. Insights into these expenses shed light on the budgetary constraints faced by Fifth Season, previously known as Endeavor Content, which is responsible for producing this science fiction thriller.

Fifth Season’s Profit Margins Affected

Irv looking confused in Severance Season 2

According to Matt Belloni, who reported on the challenging production journey in Puck’s What I’m Hearing newsletter, most of Fifth Season’s profits were “wiped out” due to the excessive expenses incurred during production. Belloni noted that several issues marked the production phase, including discarded set designs, modified story arcs, and external elements such as the COVID pandemic and strike impacts. To stabilize the situation, Beau Willimon was brought in as a new showrunner.

Reports suggest that Apple transferred between $20 million to $25 million of the cost overruns back to Fifth Season, further straining their financial outcomes. Fifth Season also oversees various other projects, including Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers and Max’s Tokyo Vice.

Prospects for the Future of Severance

Positive Reception and a Likely Season 3

Mark, Helly, Irv, and Dylan walking in Severance

Despite the tumultuous production experience, executive producer and director Ben Stiller emphasized in interviews his commitment to achieving perfection for this much-awaited season. Should the show garner a significant uptick in viewership for Apple TV+, thus enhancing its competitive stance against Netflix and Prime Video, the production mishaps may be overlooked.

The promising early reviews for Severance season 2 have sparked hope that viewership will continue to rise and that the series may gain traction at forthcoming awards, such as the Emmys. Should this upward trend continue, Belloni notes that it could pave the way for Apple to greenlight Severance season 3 and potentially beyond.

Source: What I’m Hearing

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