Exploring the Real-Life Inspiration Behind ‘Severance’: From Bell Labs to Lumon Industries

To create the chilling atmosphere of the fictional company in the series “Severance,” Jessica Lee Gagné, the director of photography, needed the perfect location for its headquarters.

While searching for abandoned malls online, she found a blog featuring Bell Labs, an old, eerie midcentury office building. Despite its faded state, its unique features like the wraparound walkways, diagonal skylights, and a grand sunken lobby caught her eye.

Curious, Ms. Gagné searched for “Bell Labs” on Google Maps and zoomed into Holmdel, New Jersey. She couldn’t believe her eyes. “Is this place for real?” she wondered.

A few days later, she and Ben Stiller, the show’s director and executive producer, drove to New Jersey. They traveled up a winding road, passing a giant white water tower that looked like a radio. Although the building had been renovated, it still exuded a cold, corporate feel.

“I was amazed at how perfect it was,” Ms. Gagné recalled her visit in the summer of 2019. “It was an incredible moment.”