Ben Stiller has addressed some of the projects that he is considering after Severance. The Apple TV+ show, which stars Adam Scott, is a sci-fi thriller taking place in an office where employees' minds are split between their work and their personal lives. In addition to being one of the show's executive producers, Emmy-winning actor Ben Stiller directed six of the nine episodes from season 1 and is set to helm five of the ten episodes in the upcoming Severance season 2.
✕ Remove Ads
During a recent conversation with Collider that took place while he was promoting Escape From Dannemora, Ben Stiller discussed ideas for his next directorial project. While he admitted that most of his time has been taken up with Severance, he offered insight into what he's looking to work on afterward. The first project he mentioned that he is eyeing is Slaying the Badger, which would be the story of "Greg LeMond, the first American to win the Tour de France."
The other project, which is further along, is a documentary about his parents that he has been working on for "almost four years." Both of his parents are well-known industry figures, as his father is Emmy-nominated actor Jerry Stiller (Seinfeld, The King of Queens) and his mother is Tony nominee and four-time Emmy nominee Anne Meara (Homicide: Life on the Street, Archie Bunker's Place). Read Stiller's full quote about the future projects below:
✕ Remove Ads
I’ve got a couple of things that I’ve been wanting to do. One of them that I’ve been sort of nurturing and nursing along for a while is Slaying the Badger, which is about the 1986 Tour de France and Greg LeMond, the first American to win the Tour de France. That’s a story I really wanna tell, and that could be the next thing. But honestly, it’s been full-on working on Severance.
Then the other thing that I’ve been working on is this documentary about my parents. This is something I’ve been working on for the last almost four years, and I think we’re getting to the point now where I think I’m gonna finish it up in the first part of next year. That’s been taking up my time.
What This Means For Ben Stiller
More Directing Is In The Cards
✕ Remove Ads
As Stiller's comments reveal, he intends to primarily continue directing after Severance. This is in keeping with his recent work. Although he has performed onscreen in projects including the 2021 quarantine heist thriller Locked Down as well as the upcoming holiday movie Nutcrackers and the Adam Sandler legacy sequel Happy Gilmore 2, his recent projects have predominantly seen him focusing on his roles as director and producer.
In addition to Severance, recent projects produced by Ben Stiller include the TV shows In the Dark, High Desert, and Le Flambeau, les aventuriers de Chupacabra.
✕ Remove Ads
Although the upcoming projects that he has teased feel completely different from his off-kilter work with the Severance cast, this is also in keeping with his creative instincts. He has already set a precedent for exploring a variety of genres outside of the comedies that he is best known for. This dates back to at least 2008, when he produced the brutal horror movie The Ruins, which he immediately followed with the Oscar-nominated comedy Tropic Thunder, which he co-wrote and produced in addition to starring as Tugg Speedman.
Our Take On Ben Stiller's Next Project
He Could Be Too Busy For Either To Come Out Soon
Ultimately, it remains to be seen which of these potential Ben Stiller projects comes to fruition first. While it seems likely that he intends to complete his documentary soonest, because it is the closest to being done, his availability on other projects could potentially be stymied if Severance is renewed for season 3, which is a distinct possibility if season 2 retains the critical and commercial success of season 1. Should that be the case, he may elect to continue directing the series and delay his other projects even further.
✕ Remove Ads
Severance season 2 premieres on Apple TV+ on January 17, 2025.
Source: Collider
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
8/10
10 9.2/10
Severance
TV-MA
Drama
Mystery
Sci-Fi
From director and executive producer Ben Stiller and creator Dan Erickson comes “Severance.” Mark Scout (Adam Scott) leads a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a severance procedure, which surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in “work-life balance” is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work… and himself.
Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
*Availability in US
- Cast
- Christopher Walken , Tramell Tillman , Michael Chernus , Adam Scott , Britt Lower , Patricia Arquette , Jen Tullock , John Turturro , Dichen Lachman , Zach Cherry
- Release Date
- February 18, 2022
- Seasons
- 1
- Streaming Service(s)
- AppleTV+
- Writers
- Dan Erickson
- Directors
- Ben Stiller
- Showrunner
- Dan Erickson , Mark Friedman
