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Ben Stiller Reveals Why He Won’t Direct ‘Severance’ Next Season

“Time is valuable,” the director, 59, as he turns his sights to two upcoming films.

Director Ben Stiller has revealed why he’s stepping away from the wildly successful hit show Severance for its third season. “Time is valuable,” the actor told the Los Angeles Times in an interview published Monday. Stiller, who noted that he has the “daunting milestone” of his 60th birthday in November, also admitted his time is limited. Outside of Severance, Stiller is shooting a World War II survival feature film in the spring and acting in the new Meet the Parents franchise film, Focker In-Law. “These things take time to come together,” Stiller said, “and the older you get, the more you realize that you only have so much time.” But the comedian hasn’t completely abandoned the show. Stiller worked alongside the Severance showrunner, Dan Erickson, and the writing team to prepare for his absence. Severance season one came out in February 2022 on Apple TV+, but it was season two that garnered 27 Emmy nominations and surpassed Ted Lasso to become the streaming service’s most-watched show. No official release date has been announced for the show’s third season.