Ben Stiller just delivered a 'Severance' season 3 update bombshell

The tension is palpable as we wait for "Severance" season 3. We've had executive producer and director Ben Stiller announce that "Severance" season 3 is coming "as fast as possible." We've had an Apple TV executive come out and say that season 3 hasn't begun production. Then, just last week, show star Adam Scott revealed that whenever the show does begin production, it could take six weeks just to film a single episode and half a year to film a full season.

But this latest update is a real bombshell. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Stiller revealed that he won't be directing episodes for season 3. Instead, he'll be helming a feature-length film about the true story of a downed airman in occupied France during World War II and the airman's subsequent involvement in the French Resistance. That's on top of his plans to make a movie adapting Rachel Maddow's podcast "Bag Man" about disgraced Nixon-era U.S. Vice President Spiro Agnew, and existing projects "Focker-in-Law" and "Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost."

“These things take time to come together,” Stiller told the L.A. Times, referring to the various projects he's balancing, including an in-development HBO comedy-drama “The Band.” "And the older you get, the more you realize that you only have so much time.”

That's a massive development for "Severance" season 3, and frankly, the Apple TV Plus sci-fi series as a whole. Stiller has been a prolific director on the Emmy-nominated show, directing six episodes in "Severance" season 1 and five episodes in "Severance" season 2. In each season, he's directed both the season premiere and the finale, meaning his directorial stamp on the show is a defining one. He's been nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series each season, and could still win for season 2's finale, "Cold Harbor."

Stiller has since taken to X (Twitter) to clarify the news that he'd be absent from the director's chair next season. "It’s been full-time the last 8 months working on season 3," he replied in response to a tweet from fan account Severance Updates. "And I’m not going anywhere. We have incredible directors and a team that creates the show. I love directing it and look forward to at some point again for sure. I feel like season 3 is going to be the best yet as we continue to evolve."

To be fair, some of the show's most acclaimed episodes weren't directed by Stiller. Jessica Lee Gagné just earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for season 2, episode 7, "Chikhai Bardo," meaning she could even beat Stiller for the award later this year. But it's tough to imagine a world where replacing the director of 11 of the show's 19 episodes is easy, let alone producing a similar product. Even if season 3 is as good (or better!) than season 2 without Stiller directing, I would bet money on the show not feeling the same.

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Malcolm McMillan

Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.

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