Severance Season 2 one of the most expensive TV shows of all time — Apple issues ultimatum over the show's future

(Image credit: Apple)

Severance season two, Apple TV Plus’ most anticipated project to date, seems set to be the most expensive too, and Apple needs the Ben Stiller-directed thriller to cut costs for future seasons.

As reported by Bloomberg, the second season of the show has “ballooned to more than $20 million an episode, making it one of the most expensive projects on TV.” As well as the second season being delayed by writing strikes in Hollywood, Apple paid Beau Willimon, the showrunner of the first four seasons of House of Cards, millions of dollars to contribute towards the show.

For context on that $20 million figure, Breaking Bad cost around $3 million per episode when it aired, and the final season of Game of Thrones was projected to cost $15 million an episode. Competitor Netflix’s biggest upcoming project, Stranger Things, reportedly costs a whopping $30 million per episode, but Netflix has a significantly larger subscriber base.

What does this mean for Severance season three?

Also reported by Bloomberg, “The company is now in the middle of discussions about future seasons of Severance. Apple can’t wait to make more of the show, but management has a request for Stiller and the show’s studio, Fifth Season. They need to bring down the cost.” With Apple demanding the show’s operating costs come down by the third season, we may not see it if spending isn’t reined in.

Severance is a psychological thriller about workers who have part of their brain “severed” to be able to do highly secretive work during the day and live their lives without that knowledge outside of it. Set mostly in office cubicles, it has plenty of strange effects and dramatic setpieces to cut the tension from the relative normalcy of a day job.

Severance season two is set to begin airing on January 17, 2025, with episodes dropping weekly until its conclusion on March 21, 2025. Airing three years since the release of season one, season two is set to be one of Apple TV Plus’ biggest releases of next year. Fans of the show, however, hopefully won't have as long to wait for the third season, if it goes ahead, considering Apple’s mega spend.

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James is a staff writer and general Jack of all trades at iMore. With news, features, reviews, and guides under his belt, he has always liked Apple for its unique branding and distinctive style. Originally buying a Macbook for music and video production, he has since gone on to join the Apple ecosystem with as many devices as he can fit on his person.

With a degree in Law and Media and being a little too young to move onto the next step of his law career, James started writing from his bedroom about games, movies, tech, and anything else he could think of. Within months, this turned into a fully-fledged career as a freelance journalist. Before joining iMore, he was a staff writer at Gfinity and saw himself published at sites like TechRadar, NME, and Eurogamer.

As his extensive portfolio implies, James was predominantly a games journalist before joining iMore and brings with him a unique perspective on Apple itself. When not working, he is trying to catch up with the movies and albums of the year, as well as finally finishing the Yakuza series. If you like Midwest emo music or pretentious indie games that will make you cry, he’ll talk your ear off.