While Severance fans wait and wait after that nail-biting cliffhanger at the end of season two, there’s been a small update about the show’s more far-reaching future. Season three—which, as we already knew, will not have any entries directed by Ben Stiller—is aiming to begin filming this summer. What’s more, it sounds like the Severance brain trust is planning for the show’s fourth season, which hasn’t yet been officially greenlit by Apple TV, to be its last.
This news comes in a Deadline article explaining that Severance is now under the umbrella of the in-house Apple Studios, though its original production house, the indie Fifth Season, will remain as an executive producer. Amid lots of talk of budgets and logistics, there are some interesting tidbits about the show, which was created and is showrun by Dan Erickson, who’s also an executive producer along with Stiller.
One is the summer 2026 filming start date for season three. The plan, however, is to finish all the scripts before going into production, and that’s still in progress. Kogonada (Zi, After Yang) will step into the producing director role.
Another is this: “A fourth season is a lock and factored into Apple Studios’ plans for the show. Stiller and Erickson have spoken publicly about envisioning the series to run for 3-4 seasons … four seasons is the target, and Apple is fully on board.”
Deadline emphasises that a fifth season would be up to Erickson and Stiller, and right now that’s seemingly not in the cards. However, that could change, and “the duo are open to the idea of doing more with the Severance universe; possibilities include a prequel, spinoffs, and foreign versions.”
The article also notes that Apple Studios is well aware that Severance fans don’t want another three-year wait between seasons—especially urgent since season two was so popular and brought in so many new viewers. However, it’s also clear the production house knows there’s no rushing a show like Severance: “Because of the series’ dense mythology, its writing process is complicated, and a plot development in episode eight, for instance, could require a change in episode two where something no longer would make sense. The goal is to do that in script form—where such tweaks are relatively cost-free … such adjustments in already completed episodes could lead to expensive shutdowns and reshoots.”
We get it. But we also need to see what happens next ASAP. What are your thoughts on Severance being a four-season show?
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