Apple Studios plans to expand the Severance world in spin-offs after the main series concludes with the fourth season
Apple buys Severance
Ben Stiller‘s hit Twilight Zone-esque series is a big hit for Apple TV. So much so that, according to Deadline, the streamer has decided to make the show in-house with Apple Studios after purchasing the property from its independent studio, Fifth Season. Fifth Season had produced the first and second seasons. Apple Studios will be producing the show on their own for this upcoming third season and the perceived final fourth season. The studio, Fifth Season (it can get confusing, stay with me), will still stay on as an executive producer of the series.
Expanding the world of Severance
Producer Ben Stiller and showrunner Dan Erickson have said that they envision the show concluding in its fourth season. There may be a tiny sliver of a chance that the duo decides to do a fifth season, but it’s far more unlikely. So, how’s Apple going to capitalize on the property? They will be planning for spin-offs. Apple stands to see a three-year gap between seasons of Severance, so the studio sees other stories from the world that will run in between can keep the audience engaged.
Like Netflix’s Squid Game, Apple has found a potential franchise in Severance. While marketing products has been limited, Apple has published an e-book that ties into the overarching mythology of the series and could be an indicator of similar products to come. When asked about the potential for spinoffs, Ben Stiller played coy and said. “There are two specific ideas — that I won’t tell you — that we’ve talked about internally as possible spinoff ideas. They are nascent.” Stiller and star Adam Scott like the idea of bespoke product tie-ins like Lumon keyboards or a video game, as the series lends itself to those concepts, but only if the products are made with a purposeful connection to the series.
Season 3
Season 3 was announced just as season 2 premiered last year. Apple CEO Tim Cook posted about the third season, and Ben Stiller shared it with the comment, “Making Severance has been one of the most creatively exciting experiences I’ve ever been a part of. While I have no memory of this, I’m told that making season three will be equally enjoyable. However, any recollection of these future events will be forever and irrevocably wiped from my memory as well.” However, Stiller hopes that this time, there won’t be a three-year gap in between seasons.
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