Ben Stiller’s Severance thriller series offers a new solution to work-life balance in teaser trailer
The workplace drama stars Patricia Arquette, Adam Scott, Britt Lower, John Turturro, and Christopher Walken
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Director Ben Stiller’s new Apple TV+ drama is bringing a new meaning to work/life balance. The streamer has shared a teaser trailer for Severance, which is described as a “workplace thriller” and centers around people who choose to not think about work while at home—like, at all.
While the series poster makes a play on the popular comedy The Office, based on the clip, Severance feels more akin to The Stepford Wives or The Truman Show, existing in a dystopian world slightly removed from our own. Adam Scott’s character Mark Scout leads a team at the mysterious Lumon Industries. The company’s employees have undergone an irreversible “severance” procedure, which surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives.
While on the clock and working on the sterile floor of the Lumon Corporation (which they emphasize is a good one), they sit in barren offices, roll a red ball in a circle to one another, and shake maracas under multicolored lights. When they’re at home, they share dinners with friends and loved ones, and carry out daily chores, unable to recall any of the things they’ve done during their 9-5.
The full cast features Academy Award winner Patricia Arquette, who stars alongside Scott, Emmy Award winner John Turturro (The Plot Against America), Britt Lower (High Maintenance), Zach Cherry (Succession), Dichen Lachman (Altered Carbon), Jen Tullock (Before You Know It), Tramell Tillman (Dietland), Michael Chernus (Orange is the New Black) and Academy Award winner Christopher Walken.
Severance is written and created by Dan Erickson, who had a few small roles in films and television series such as V.I.P. and Dark Skies. Erickson’s not taken up an acting role since 2009, and this is his first project since then (which right out the gate looks, really good).
Mark Friedman (The Forgotten), Chris Black (Star Trek: Enterprise), John Cameron, and Andrew Colville serve as executive producers alongside Erickson.
Severance debuts on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes on February 18, 2022, followed by new weekly installments, each Friday.
21 Comments
Dumb question but is this based on the 2006 horror comedy of the same name?
I’m betting not, though it was literally the first thing I thought of when I saw the title of this article.
The static photo if that trailer you embedded is 100x more compelling than the photo of Adam Scott trying his darndest not to mug for the camera in the header pic.
Yes, many explanations are owed.
Well, 2 at least.
dirty chest bumps
I love the idea that there will be jobs that are 9-5 in the futurePatricia Arquette and Ben Stiller work very well together, and Paul Dano did a great job on Escape, but Benicio del Toro was terrible, I hope Stiller gets better at directing the big names.
RDJ begs to differ…
are you saying that Stiller needed to direct RDJ better?
Hell nah.. meant RDJ is proof that Stiller can direct big names very well.
or that people who don’t need direction don’t need direction
Fair nuff
Zach Cherry was really good in a very small role in one episode of Succession season 2; I was really hoping to see him in s3, but perhaps a big role in this pulled him away?
Zach has been a great small role character actor every time I see him. Definitely hoping he gets more chances. Dude has a bright future.
Zach Cherry is a peach.
Stiller pitched this concept to Amazon’s TV department, and was told that they weren’t ready to do promotional videos on the process yet, but would consider him when they were.
Insert Ben Stiller made a movie about reality bites comment that I’m not good enough to put together.
Interesting premise that may get me to activate the AppleTV+ trial that came w/my phone once the entire series is available
I was just thinking the opposite. This looks really good and also disturbing enough that i’m glad i don’t have Apple TV, or i’d watch itand then not be able to get out of my head.
not trying to shit on the guy but did adam scott get some not-entirely-successful work done? he looks wonky.i noticed he looked a little gaunt on IG last year as well. hope nothing is wrong.
Britt Lower! I loved her on Man Seeking Woman!