Severance Production Shut Down by Writers’ Strike

Production on the second season of the hit Apple TV+ show Severance has shut down in New York as a result of the writer’s strike.

According to Deadline, members of the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) picketed York Studios in New York. Teamsters and members of IATSE, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, refused to cross the strike’s picket line, resulting in the shutting down of production.

The writer’s strike, which is currently on the first day of its second week, has resulted in numerous other shows halting production for similar reasoning. Last week, the LA production of Maya Rudolph’s Loot, a different major Apple TV+ series, halted due to the strike. Other series such as Netflix’s Stranger Things, HBO Max’s Hacks and Showtime’s Billions have also seen production shut down. Marvel’s upcoming Blade movie starring Mahershala Ali paused its production as well.

Members of the WGA are currently on strike due to stalling contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), who bargains on behalf of most of Hollywood’s production studios. Writers and producers under the WGA say that the rise of streaming has resulted in a levy of concerns for writers, including less work and less pay. Now, the WGA are on strike and ceasing all work until a fair deal is met.

In the meantime, though, fans will likely continue to see more productions halt as studios and producers are forced to work in an industry without the majority of writers.

Severance was renewed for a second season back in April of 2022 thanks to the show’s immense consumer and critical acclaim, and the new season featured a number of big cast additions. The series follows Adam Scott as Mark Scout, a team leader at Lumon Industries, where employees undergo a “severance procedure” that separates their work and personal lives. Severance is helmed by creator and writer Dan Erickson and director and executive producer Ben Stiller.

The first season of Severance was beloved for its thrilling and chilling story of office culture, with IGN giving it a 9/10. In our review of Season 1’s premiere, we said “Apple TV+’s Severance puts a late-stage capitalism spin on the office sitcom. The chilling two-episode premiere uses a clever premise and excellent cast to set up an intriguing mystery that leaves plenty of room for the characters to evolve.”

To read more abouut how the writer’s strike could affect your favorite shows, see here.

Carson Burton is a freelance news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter at @carsonsburton.