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Apple TV+’s sci-fi show Severance has been renewed for a second season, but it’s not all smooth sailing. According to recent reports, the show has been facing some “backstage drama,” and now, production of the second season has been suspended entirely in New York due to the ongoing writers’ strike.
As reported by Deadline, members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) picketed York Studios in New York, where Severance is produced. Members of the IATSE and Teamsters reportedly refused to cross the picket line. As a result, the second season of the show is expected to be further delayed.
The WGA called for a strike in the US on May 2 after failing to reach a new deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Screenwriters are asking for better pay and for major studios to ensure that they won’t replace screenwriters with generative AI like ChatGPT to produce the script for movies and TV shows.
Severance isn’t the only Apple TV+ show affected by the strike. The comedy show Loot, starring Maya Rudolph, has also had filming of its second season suspended in Los Angeles. Other popular shows like Netflix’s Stranger Things, HBO Max’s Hacks, and Showtime’s Billions have also had production shut down.
However, when it comes to Severance, the writers’ strike is just one of the problems surrounding the production of the show’s second season. Puck News reported last week that production of Severance’s season 2 is facing “significant delays” due to conflicts between co-showrunners Dan Erickson and Mark Friedman. Sources said that Erickson and Friedman “ended up hating each other.”
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Other controversies surrounding the show’s second season include “script issues” and a “ballooning per-episode budget.” Internally, Apple TV+ wants to produce two more seasons of the show.
Severance stars Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, Britt Lower, John Turturro, and Christopher Walken, and is directed and produced by Ben Stiller. Despite the production issues, the show’s first season received positive reviews and was praised for its unique blend of sci-fi and workplace drama. Fans are eagerly anticipating the second season, but it seems they’ll have to wait a little longer.