It's a great time to be a fan of Severance right now. Not only did the Apple TV+ sci-fi thriller just complete its record-breaking second season with a game-changing finale we won't stop thinking about any time soon, but the series also landed a quick renewal for season 3. That's right, Severance 3 is officially happening, and there's already a detail confirmed that fans will love.
Apple TV+ announced the season 3 renewal on Friday, March 21, the same day that Severance season 2 episode 10, aptly titled "Cold Harbor," began streaming worldwide. It's a no brainer that Apple would keep Severance around as long as possible, considering that not long after season 2 premiered in January, the series beat Ted Lasso as the streamer's most-watched series.
Helping further secure an easy season 3 renewal and a bright future, beyond being one of the most talked about and critically acclaimed shows currently on television, Severance season 2 attracted 3.68 billion viewing minutes and counting in the U.S., and that's only for the first six episodes. The season also gained a new weekly high viewership of 681 million minutes viewed.
Cue the choreography and merriment.#Severance has been renewed for Season 3. pic.twitter.com/Ap9TNvwRAB
— Apple TV (@AppleTV) March 21, 2025
Severance season 3 won't have a three-year wait
Naturally, now that it's confirmed that Severance season 3 is in fact happening and on the way, fans want to know when we can start watching new episodes. Well, there's even more good news on that front. While we had to wait nearly three years between the first and second seasons, both creator Dan Erickson and director/executive producer Ben Stiller promised that wait won't happen again.
Ahead of the season 2 finale, Stiller appeared on the New Heights podcast to chat with Travis and Jason Kelce, and when asked if we will be waiting three years again, Stiller insisted that "the plan is not, definitely not" to have as extended of a hiatus. He also shared that they would be announcing what the plan is "very soon," alluding to the official season 3 renewal.
Entertainment Weekly spoke with Erickson, and he reiterated Stiller's comments about reducing the wait in between seasons and gave some context behind the three-year gap that kept season 2 away from our watch lists longer than we'd like. The season had to contend with the dual Hollywood labor strikes, which put a stop to the writing and production process for nearly half a year.
"I would love to finish the show before I'm 70. I would hope that season 3 comes sooner. Certainly a big part of it was the fact that we had the strikes which shut us down for five or six months for production. And there was a difference between that and being shut down for Covid in season 1, because when we were shut down for Covid, I was still writing that whole time, and this time literally it was pencils down. I was making an effort to not even really look at or think about the scripts during that time."
However, Erickson does note that while taking three years to release Severance season 3 isn't the plan, he does warn fans that he can't assure a quick turnaround. Some streaming shows, like Only Murders in the Building, are able to deliver a new season annually around the same time each year. Obviously, others do not and take a bit more time to create and release.
Erickson told Entertainment Weekly that "we're always very careful" and "very meticulous" with crafting the story of Severance and getting everything right. It's no secret that we want new episodes as soon as possible as fans, but we should also allow the masterminds to take their time and make something good. Even if it's over a year, nearing two, it will be worth the wait. Here's what Erickson said:
"But having said that, having done it twice now, there is more of a sense of understanding procedurally what works and how to streamline it, so our goal is never to draw out people's pain for three years. And I hope that we don't have to do that again."
The writer's room for season 3 has already opened and hard at work at building the season and its script, as previously revealed by Stiller in February 2025. As of the season 3 renewal on March 21, there are no concrete details on when production could begin, though we're remaining hopeful that cameras could start rolling before the end of 2025.
It's worth noting that production on season 2 took about eight months total between all of the starts and stops with the strikes. Production shouldn't be interrupted this time around and shouldn't take as long, but filming will still take over half a year and then some. Hopefully, Severance season 3 will be able to make its premiere sometime before the end of 2026, but we'll have to stay patient.
Watch Severance only on Apple TV+.