Severance Season 2 Sidelined by SAG Strike, 2024 Release Still Possible

Summary

• The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes disrupted the production of a slew of shows.
• Severance Season 2’s script was completed before the strikes.
• Its future, however, depends on how soon the actors can resolve their dispute with the studios.
• The season's release may, therefore, be delayed until late 2024.

The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes have disrupted Hollywood, bringing it to a near standstill. Starting in May, the writers' strike made work on new seasons of our favorite shows, including NCIS and Virgin River, impossible. And when actors joined the fray in July, even projects with completed scripts were put on hold.

Severance, which debuted on Apple TV+ in 2022 and quickly became the streaming service's flagship drama, was among the projects affected by the strikes. Though it was renewed for a second season in April 2022, and the script for the new installment was ready by the time the WGA went on strike, the subsequent SAG-AFTRA strike put production on pause and made the future of the show contingent on its resolution.

Why Is Severance Such a Hit?

It's been over a year since Severance premiered, and the show has only had one season so far, but it remains a hot topic. The plot revolves around a fictional biotech company that has invented a way to medically sever its employees' work identities from their personal ones. The show explores this intriguing concept and showcases the complications that would arise from this approach. As characters develop dual identities, they also realize that the company's intentions aren't as benevolent as they first appeared.

Severance captivated audiences around the world despite only having nine episodes and is already being touted as a main contender for the Emmys, rivaling such behemoths as Succession.

When Will Season 2 Premiere?

Given that the script for the second installment of Severance has been ready for some time, what remains is the filming and post-production. Unlike the writers' guild, SAG-AFTRA is still on strike with no signs of a resolution on the horizon.

As a result, Severance Season 2 might not see the light of day until late 2024. Should the actors' strike end sooner than anticipated, production on the show's next installment will resume immediately, in which case an early release date is possible. For the time being, though, there isn't much hope of that, unfortunately.