Severance Season 2’s Budget Ballooned So Big During Filming Chaos, It’ll Reportedly Wipe Out Almost All Of The Studio’s Profit

The budget for Severance season 2 increased to the point that it reportedly wiped out all of the production studio’s profit. Severance season 2 has returned to Apple TV+, three years after the first installment premiered. Although some of that extended gap between episodes comes down to strike-related delays, the production process was also slowed down by disagreements between the showrunners and changing ideas about what the second installment would look like.

Due to reported animosity between showrunners Dan Erickson and Mark Friedman, not to mention scrapped scripts and aborted storylines, the cost of Severance season 2 rose to $20 million per episode. New details underline where some of that cost went. It also explains what the price tag means for Fifth Season, formerly known as Endeavor Content, which produces the sci-fi thriller.

Severance Season 2 Reportedly Wiped Out Fifth Season’s Profit

The Production Studio Shouldered A Lot Of The Cost

Matt Belloni, who previously reported on Severance season 2’s troubled production for Puck’s What I’m Hearing newsletter, writes that Fifth Season had most of its profit “wiped out” by the thriller’s production overrun. Belloni mentions that the problems during season 2’s process included discarded sets, changed storylines, and outside factors like COVID and strike-related showdowns. Beau Willimon, a new showrunner, was brought in to help steer the situation. In the end, according to multiple sources, Apple passed $20 to $25 million of the overages to Fifth Season.

Apple and Fifth Season declined to comment for the story, but the new details suggest that Fifth Season is unlikely to make much profit on season 2. Still, because of the early positive reviews for Severance season 2, there’s a hope that the viewership will continue to grow and that the thriller will receive attention at major awards like the Emmys. If that is the case, Belloni suggests that Apple is likely to move forward on Severance season 3 and beyond.

Our Take On Severance’s Future

At Least Season 3 Seems To Be A Lock

When he addressed the show’s reported budget in interviews, executive producer and director Ben Stiller largely maintained that he pushed for the much-anticipated Severance return to be perfect. If that quest for perfection results in a notable uptick in interest for Apple TV+, making it more competitive with Netflix and Prime Video, these sophomore stumbles are likely to be forgiven.

Source: What I’m Hearing