What was the Severance Season 2 per-episode budget? Details explored as studio reportedly had profits "wiped out" 

Season 2 of Apple TV+'s popular sci-fi show Severance has turned out to be quite an expensive affair, with each episode costing a whopping $20 million. This has affected the folks at Fifth Season, the production company behind it, which was previously known as Endeavor Content.

If Matt Belloni’s Puck newsletter named "What I'm Hearing" is anything to go by, almost all the money they made from the season has been “wiped out.” They had to spend on visuals, intricate sets, and dealing with COVID and strikes that messed up their schedule. But the show's still getting love from the critics, so fans are excited to see what comes from spending so much.

So, let's talk more about why the budget went through the roof and what it could mean for the future of Severance and the production company that makes it.

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Why did Severance Season 2 cost so much?

Severance Season 2 had a huge budget of $20 million for each episode, reported by several outlets and confirmed by Apple TV. The reason behind this massive spending was due to a lot of creative hiccups and issues outside the show. Puck and others say a good chunk of the extra cash went into fixing up scenes and tossing some storylines that weren't working out.

Dan Erickson and Mark Friedman, the showrunners, didn't see eye-to-eye on where the story should go, so they had to scrap some scripts and redo some filming. They brought in Beau Willimon from House of Cards to help get things back on track, which didn't come cheap.

The show looks incredible because it uses so much CGI and fancy editing.

One user noticed that scenes that seemed basic had work done and noted,

“There’s a ton of SFX shots... They’re willing to pay to make it happen.”

They had to deal with all these real-life issues, like COVID-19 shutting things down and the writers and actors going on strike. That meant they had to hire the crew again, rent out the same spots more than once, and try to get everything done on a tighter schedule. It's a miracle they got through it all.

One Reddit commenter put it perfectly when they said,

“The writers and actors' strikes meant production had to be stopped and started again a year later, which means re-hiring everyone; re-renting all filming locations, cameras, trailers, vehicles, etc; flying or driving cast and crew all over the country; etc; etc. It's a seriously expensive business.”

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The impact on Fifth Season and Severance’s future

The folks at Fifth Season, who are behind the show Severance, took a pretty big financial hit. Even though Apple TV+ chipped in and took on some extra costs, Fifth Season's earnings were almost wiped out.

This situation has got industry insider Matt Belloni thinking it might affect how production companies and streaming services like Apple TV+ work out their deals in the future. But it's not all doom and gloom.

The show's been getting a lot of love early on, with critics and fans digging its story. This buzz could mean good things come awards season, which might just make the whole investment worth it for Apple TV+. Ben Stiller, the executive producer, is a stickler for perfection, and that might pay off in the end.

If Severance starts racking up major awards, it could bring in new viewers to the platform, making it all worthwhile.

Stiller talked about how much effort goes into Severance, saying,

“The vision for Severance requires commitment, and we’re delivering something extraordinary.”

It sounds like they're planning to keep the same quality for the next season but might have to watch the budget closely. Apple has been hinting that they want to make sure the show keeps making money without losing what makes it great.

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Watch new episodes of Season 2 on Apple TV+ every Friday.