Will There Be A Third Season Of Severance?

Is Apple TV finally entering its mainstream stride? The huge amount of online discourse about Severance has us convinced the tech giant’s side hustle streamer is at long last poised to hit the big time. It’s still no Netflix (which has almost four times the number of subscribers), and doesn’t quite yet have the chops of HBO, but a sequence of well-received dramas (think Slow Horses, Hijack, Masters of the Air) seems to have led up to this: fans scrambling over one another to wax lyrical, analyse and debate each and every episode of Severance season 2 as and when new episodes land on the platform weekly.

Did the three year gap between season 1 and 2 generate a palpable anticipation? Or perhaps it was the huge publicity stunt at New York’s Grand Central Station, which plonked the core cast in a big glass box replicating quintessential office cubicles, flanked by producer Ben Stiller greeting fans. Either way, there’s no denying Severance is the TV series of the moment. But will there be a season 3? Here’s what we know so far.

Adam Scott in “Severance,” now streaming on Apple TV+.

Will There Be Severance Season 3?

Yes, Severance season 3 is officially happening. The news was broken by CJ ENM, a huge South Korean media conglomerate that majority owns and operates Fifth Season, the production company behind Severance.

On 17 January 2025 – when season 2 commenced – CJ ENM teased details regarding Fifth Season’s 2025 slate, and described Severance as ‘a work that gave a fresh shock to the world by depicting a different dystopia of modern people who have lost their true selves through the unique setting of a disconnection surgery’ (translated from Korean).

‘[Severance] swept major award ceremonies around the world, including the Emmy Awards and Peabody Awards,’ CJ ENM continues. ‘And with its huge popularity, production of season 3 has been confirmed.’

So there we have it – though we are still awaiting official confirmation from Apple themselves. That said, executive producer Ben Stiller was open about the future of the series on the season 2 premiere red carpet. ‘You have a responsibility to the audience that you’re going somewhere with it,’ Stiller told Collider. ‘That’s always been a part of it for us: really understanding where it’s heading, and Apple has been really supportive of that and been sensitive to what the story is and not saying, “OK, this is something that has to keep going as long as it’s successful.”

‘It should go as long as the story goes,’ Stiller added. ‘And that’s something we have an idea of, and we’re working towards as we’re starting up our season 3 work.’

Later, Stiller told The Hollywood Reporter that a writers room for season 3 has been formed with the backing of Apple – so we’re taking this as a greenlight.

Tramell Tillman, Alia Shawkat, Stefano Carannante and Bob Balaban in “Severance,” now streaming on Apple TV+.

What Will Happen?

With Severance season 2 still ongoing, your guess is as good as ours as to what will happen in season 3. However, we expect Mark S. (Adam Scott) and the rest of the Macrodata Refinement squad to continue their quest to uncover the bizarre workings of Lumon Industries.

Ben Stiller on set of “Severance,” now streaming on Apple TV+.

Will Ben Stiller Star?

That’s a firm no. The Hollywood legend has confirmed he has no intention of starring in Severance – a show in which he has played a very influential role behind the scenes. Stiller is Severance’s director and executive producer, and was the man who brought the series to fruition after meeting with its creator Dan Erickson. Stiller also cast Adam Scott in the lead role despite being an off-beat choice, best known for his comedy role as Ben Wyatt in Parks and Recreation. Scott previously worked with Stiller in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013).

Adam Scott and Britt Lower in “Severance,” now streaming on Apple TV+.

Severance Season 3 Release Date

Surely there won’t be another three year gap? Don’t hold your breath… Speaking to Gizmodo, series creator Dan Erikson admitted the chasm between seasons 1 and 2 can’t entirely be blamed on the combination of Covid and SAG-AFTRA strikes. In fact, season 1 also took about three years to bring to the screen – we just didn’t notice because we ‘weren’t waiting for it [yet]’, Erikson points out.

However, it’s clear Erikson doesn’t want Severance season 3 to take another three years to bring to Apple TV – and we imagine the streaming platform isn’t totally keen on a hiatus either. ‘[We’re] always looking to fine-tune the process and take what works and leave what doesn’t work and streamline things,’ he says. ‘So, my hope is that if there is a season 3, it’s going to be sooner.’

WATCH

New episodes of Severance arrive on Apple TV weekly on Fridays.