Apple Takes Full Control of 'Severance' in Surprise Deal

Source: MacRumors

Apple has fully acquired the rights to its hit Apple TV series “Severance,” bringing future seasons and content in‑house under Apple Studios, according to Deadline.

Acquisition Details

• Apple purchased the intellectual property and all rights to Severance from Fifth Season in a deal valued at just under $70 million.
• The series was previously licensed from Fifth Season.
• With this move, Severance transitions from an externally produced show to a fully in‑house Apple Studios production, while Fifth Season remains attached as an executive producer.
• The strategy mirrors Apple’s earlier decision to bring the sci‑fi series “Silo” under Apple Studios after its first season.

Production Challenges for Season 2

• The second season reportedly cost up to $20 million per episode.
• Production delays were caused by:
  • COVID‑19 disruptions
  • Hollywood labor strikes
  • Script changes that led to reshoots and scrapped sets
• Extended production increased borrowing costs, putting financial pressure on Fifth Season as it awaited New York tax credits and funding reimbursements.
• Fifth Season sought financial advances from Apple and considered moving production to Canada to secure larger tax rebates.
• Apple concluded that owning the series would allow it to absorb long production timelines and keep filming in New York, where the show already has an established footprint.

Future Plans

• The series has been renewed for a third season, and a fourth season is considered a certainty.
• Deadline reports Apple expects the series to run for at least four seasons, with creator Dan Erickson and executive producer Ben Stiller open to expanding the franchise through prequels, spinoffs, and international adaptations.
• Production on the third season is tentatively slated to begin this summer, though the start date may shift as scripts are finalized.
• Six scripts have reportedly been completed, with additional episodes still in development. Apple and the creative team plan to begin filming only after all scripts are finished to avoid the costly shutdowns and reshoots that plagued season two.

This article, “Apple Takes Full Control of ‘Severance’ in Surprise Deal,” first appeared on MacRumors.com.