Ben Stiller to Direct WWII Survival Movie — An Unexpected Move After Stepping Back from 'Severance' Season 3
The shift leaves questions about his boldest creative gamble yet.
Watching how directors shift between television and film has always intrigued me, and Ben Stiller’s latest move is no exception. After directing 11 of the first 19 episodes of Severance and helping turn it into a critical darling, he won’t return to direct season three.
Instead, he’s preparing a World War II survival drama scheduled to shoot in spring 2026. Quite the leap from office dystopia to battlefields, don’t you think?
From Severance to Survival
Stiller has been the creative core of Severance, guiding its tone and look. He’ll stay on as producer, but his absence behind the camera may change the show’s feel. Fans will surely wonder if season three can keep the same edge.
Back to the Big Screen
This move also marks Stiller’s return to features after nearly a decade. His filmography swings from Reality Bites and Tropic Thunder to the infamous Zoolander 2.
More recently, he’s been developing projects like The Seven Five, Bag Man, and a possible Twilight Zone movie. Now, the WWII film looks set to be his boldest gamble yet.
Leaving one of TV’s most acclaimed series to tackle wartime survival is an unexpected choice — but perhaps exactly the reinvention Stiller thrives on.
