Who is Mark Friedman? Ben Stiller addresses “difficult” Severance rumors

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Before the debut of Severance Season 2, Ben Stiller has spoken out about speculations surrounding alleged tension backstage between characters Dan Erickson and Mark Friedman.

As a devoted admirer, it’s been an agonizing three years since the Season 1 finale of Severance unfurled its jolt-to-the-system cliffhanger. You might be wondering why we’ve had to wait so long for Season 2. Here are some insights into the delay.

Significantly, the Hollywood strikes disrupted the production timeline, causing a delay in the Apple TV+ show’s highly anticipated comeback, which is now scheduled for early 2025.

The Hollywood strikes had a significant impact on the shooting schedule, pushing back the debut of the eagerly awaited Apple TV+ show to early 2025.

Instead, a different source indicates potential conflicts between Erickson, the show’s creator, and Friedman, who served as both writer and producer.

Who is Mark Friedman?

Mark Friedman holds the position of executive producer for the show “Severance”. For the upcoming season 2, he is credited as a co-writer in episode 7 which will be aired on February 28, 2025.

In the 2010s, Friedman’s career started to pick up speed significantly. During this time, he developed two television series titled The Forgotten and Believe, wrote the story for Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, and took on the role of showrunner for Dispatches from Elsewhere.

In addition, he was credited as a “consulting producer” for the initial four episodes of Dune: Prophecy; however, his role did not extend to the last two episodes.

What happened between Mark Friedman and Dan Erickson?

As per a report by Puck News, it appears that Friedman and Erickson developed strong dislike for one another during the production of Severance Season 1.

According to recent reports, I discovered during the production of Season 2 that Friedman was planning to depart from Severance. However, Stiller, who helmed most of the first season and is coming back for a substantial part of the second, conducted interviews with potential replacements but failed to find anyone he felt suited the role, it’s said.

After discussing with Friedman, he and Apple decided to recreate the toxic atmosphere similar to Season 1. However, it turned out to be a misstep, with script issues being a significant concern. Despite their disappointment and embarrassment for taking the wrong path, they saw Severance as a potential success and an awards contender, leading them to talk about Seasons 3 and 4.

Here’s the key point: Later, it was said that Stiller engaged Beau Willimon, known for creating House of Cards and working on Andor Season 2, to work on the scripts for Season 3 before the WGA strike. This indicates that Friedman might have a smaller or even no role in Season 3, should it materialize at all.

Based on anticipation, it’s yet unconfirmed by Apple TV+, however, Stiller himself revealed that the production for Severance Season 3 has already started.

Ben Stiller clears the air after reports of Severance drama

Just before Season 2 hit the screens, I had the pleasure of listening to Stiller’s interview on The New York Times’ The Interview podcast. During the chat, he was inquired about the whispers surrounding the supposed tension between Friedman and Erickson.

He clarified that he has always doubted the notion that there must be conflict or some form of tension-inducing element on a film set for it to be effective.

Over the past five years, creating this show has been a continuous learning journey for me. There have certainly been times when we’ve pondered over the best direction to take creatively. I strongly feel that the unique blend of creativity in our team is what gives birth to this show.

I’m here, grinding away at the workstation, just like always. The break room seems to be a ghost town today, but that’s nothing new for us. We’ve been on this steady pace for quite some time now, and our target air date remains unchanged – it’s a goal we’ve consistently aimed for. Above all, we cherish our fans and our camaraderie, and we’re all doing our utmost to ensure the show turns out as fantastic as you’ve come to expect from us ❤️.

— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) April 28, 2023

The production isn’t flawless; we encountered periods where challenges arose… It was a collective effort driven by everyone striving for excellence. I truly think that the diverse perspectives contributed to shaping the show into what it ultimately became.

“There was some stuff that happened, but it wasn’t a big deal.”

In April 2023, Stiller likewise addressed the report, reassuring fans that “nobody is taking a break.

We’ve consistently moved at a leisurely pace, just as we have in the past. Our original release date remains unchanged. We cherish our fans and each other, and we’re all dedicated to making this show the best it can be,” he continued.

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2025-01-14 15:56