‘Severance’ Season 2 Starts Production, Adds Gwendoline Christie, Alia Shawkat, and Bob Balaban

The severed wing at Lumon headquarters is about to get a bit more crowded.

Eight new actors are joining the cast of “Severance” for Season 2, including notable stars like Gwendoline Christie (“Game of Thrones”), Alia Shawkat (“Arrested Development”), and Bob Balaban (“The French Dispatch”). Merritt Wever, Robby Benson, Stefano Carannante, John Noble, and ólafur Darri ólafsson have also been cast. They’ll join a stacked ensemble that already includes the likes of Adam Scott, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, Patricia Arquette, Tramell Tillman, and Zach Cherry.

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“We are thrilled and delighted to be back on set for the exciting the second chapter of ‘Severance,’” said Ben Stiller, who serves as an executive producer on “Severance” and directed seven episodes of Season 1. “Though we don’t know how long we’ve been gone or who we are outside, we are told people enjoy the show and we couldn’t be happier. Praise Kier!”

Season 1 of “Severance” was a massive success for Apple TV+, earning rave reviews and dominating pop culture discourse with its weekly release schedule. The series picked up 14 Emmy nominations, ultimately winning two for Outstanding Music Composition and Outstanding Main Title Design. It was renewed for a second season in April, just days before its Season 1 finale aired.

IndieWire named “Severance” the best TV series of 2022, with Ben Travers writing that, “unlike so many other TV shows devoured by Reddit sleuths, ‘Severance’ doesn’t need any additional explanation to appreciate its point. Dan Erickson’s Apple TV+ original isn’t driven solely by its mysteries. Though it may fit the description, it’s not a puzzle box show. It’s a character drama. ‘Severance’’s peculiarities — from Kier’s animated video to what Lumon Industries actually manufactures — are icing on the cake. The series’ unbelievable tension, mounting from the second that video ends and running through a pulse-pounding Season 1 finale, stems from the people who go to work every day feeling like they never left. You’re not waiting to get answers you need. You’re dying for each MDR employee to get the answers they need.”

Season 2 of “Severance” is beginning production, but Apple has yet to announce a release date.

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