The second season of Severance will make its premiere on Apple TV+ on January 17, and ahead of it, actor-filmmaker Ben Stiller drew comparisons between the main characters' helplessness and disorientation to the professional and psychological woes experienced by creators working in the entertainment industry.
In an interview with The New York Times, Stiller, who serves as the show's executive producer and director, referred to the decision-making process in Hollywood as one that creates much angst because the individuals might say one thing and mean something else.
"At a certain point, there’s always somebody making a decision who is not making it to your face or you don’t even know who that person is. Why a decision is made is never explained to the creative person. Or, if it is, it’s usually not the truth. It’s a cliché in Hollywood, but it’s kind of true that everybody will say yes and it doesn’t mean yes. It means no or let me think about it — more than ever, honestly," said the Tropic Thunder actor.
The first season of Severance got viewers hooked to an intriguing cross between a unique sci-fi concept and a relatable corporate drama swirling around a group of characters who had opted for a surgical procedure to separate their work and home memories. The work selves are named 'innies' and the home selves, 'outies'.
Headlined by Adam Scott, Britt Lower, John Turturro and Zach Cherry, the first season saw the characters slowly waking up to the reality that their lives are being controlled by some sinister forces.
Stiller added that things have gotten much more complicated in Hollywood post-pandemic and the Writers' strike. Making matters worse is the Los Angeles wildfires, which have caused many properties to cease production or delay a movie release or series launch.
A premiere show of the second season, earlier scheduled to happen on January 13, was cancelled due to the devastating disaster that claimed some lives and caused widespread property destruction.
“It’s a very tough environment now to get things made," observed Stiller. "The strike, post-Covid — it’s more expensive to make things, and I think the decision-makers are trying to keep their jobs and trying to figure out how to make things work for them, which means constriction and choices that are safer,” he observed.
Created, executive produced and written by Dan Erickson, the new season will premiere its first episode on January 17, followed by new episodes every subsequent week.
Season 2 features new characters played by Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones, The Sandman), Bob Balaban, Merritt Wever, Alia Shawkat, Robby Benson, Stefano Carannante, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, and John Noble.
