AppleTV+’s Severance, helmed by Ben Stiller and starring a murderer’s row of actors (including Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, John Turturro, and Christopher Walken), quickly became one of the most highly buzzed-about shows of the past year before racking up 14 Emmy nominations during awards season.
A second season was announced just as the first was brought in for a landing, and today brings the news that eight new cast members will be joining the series.
Says The Hollywood Reporter:
“The newcomers to the cast are Bob Balaban (The French Dispatch), Robby Benson (Beauty and the Beast), Stefano Carannante, Gwendoline Christie (The Sandman, Game of Thrones), John Noble (Fringe), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (The Tourist), Alia Shawkat (Search Party, The Old Man) and Emmy winner Merritt Wever (Nurse Jackie, Unbelievable).”
My God, they’ve doubled the size of the cast by adding a second murderer’s row of actors. There is, of course, no telling who these folks will be playing, how they fit into the story, or how large/small their roles might be, but it’s genuinely exciting to see names like John Noble, Bob Balaban, and Alia Shawkat popping up here. One can imagine them fitting very nicely into the world of Severance, indeed.
Says Stiller:
“We are thrilled and delighted to be back on set for the exciting second chapter of Severance. 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!”
For those who did not catch Severance‘s first season, the plot revolves around a company where certain employees are given the opportunity to split their consciousnesses in two: one half only retains memories from work, while the other only retains memories outside of work. Neither half knows what’s going on in the life of the other, which – as you might imagine – leads to a number of existential crises for those who partake in the process. Oh, and also? The company behind all this? Probably evil, definitely up to no good.
It’s a great series, and we can’t wait to see it return (and to find out how all these new folks will fit into the puzzle Stiller and company are assembling). Stay tuned for further updates on Severance S2 as they roll in, and – for the love of god – if you haven’t seen Severance S1, please rectify that at your earliest convenience.
