Apple has fully acquired the rights to its hit Apple TV series “Severance,” bringing future seasons and content under Apple Studios, Period news.
Apple reportedly acquired the intellectual property and all rights to Severance from the fifth season in a deal worth just under $70 million. Apple previously licensed “Severance” from the fifth season. More than six years after the launch of Apple TV, Apple Studios now produces roughly half of the platform’s slate.
The move transitions the series from an externally produced show to a fully in-house Apple Studios production, with Fifth Season remaining attached as an executive producer going forward. The change reflects Apple’s earlier move to bring the sci-fi series “Silo” under Apple Studios after its first season.
The acquisition follows a difficult production cycle for the show’s second season, which reportedly costs up to $20 million per episode. The second season struggled with extended production delays due to COVID-19, Hollywood labor strikes, and script changes that resulted in reshoots and scrapped scenes. Borrowing costs increased significantly during the extended production window, increasing financial pressure on the fifth season as the studio awaited New York tax credits and financial refunds.
According to Fifth Season’s report, Apple has asked for financial advances and considered moving production to Canada for faster and bigger tax breaks. Apple executives ultimately concluded that owning the series would allow the company to better absorb long production timelines and continue filming in New York, where the show has an established footprint.
Apple is now apparently planning to position the Severance as the long-term flagship of the franchise. The show has already been renewed for a third season and a fourth season is reportedly considered a certainty. Period says Apple expects the series to run for at least four seasons, though creator Dan Erickson and executive producer Ben Stiller are open to expanding the franchise with prequels, spinoffs and international adaptations.
Production on the third season is tentatively expected to begin this summer, although the start date may drop slightly as scripts are being finalized. Six scripts have reportedly been completed and more episodes are still in development. Apple and the creative team try to start filming only after all the scripts have been completed to avoid the costly downtime and reshoots that affected the second season.
The second season of Severance became the most-watched series on Apple TV at the time of its release and received 27 Emmy nominations and won eight awards in 2025.