Another season of the dystopian anthology series Black Mirror is in the works, and fans can expect to see a star-studded cast in each episode. Atlanta star Zazie Beetz, Breaking Bad vet Aaron Paul, and House of Cards‘ Kate Mara are among the first stars signed to the new season. This will be the first new season since the three-episode Season 5 was released in June 2019.
Black Mirror Season 6 will also star Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You), Josh Hartnett (Penny Dreadful), Danny Ramirez (Top Gun: Maverick), Clara Rugaard (The Rising), Auden Thornton (This Is Us), and Anjana Vasan (We Are Lady Parts), sources told Variety. Sources previously told the outlet that Season 6 will include more episodes than Season 5, but each episode will still be treated as an individual film. That is in line with the later seasons of the series, which have seen episodes far exceed 60 minutes.
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Black Mirror was created by Charlie Brooker and debuted on U.K. broadcaster Channel 4. After the show surfaced on Netflix, its international profile skyrocketed, and the show transferred to the streaming platform in 2016. In 2018, Brooker and director David Slade produced Bandersnatch, a unique special where Netflix viewers could choose the direction of the story.
The new season will mark a turning point in the show’s history. It will be the first for Brooker and his creative partner Annabel Jones after they left their production company House of Tomorrow in January 2020. They set up a new production banner, Brooke and Bones, which has a $100 million deal with Netflix. However, the rights to Black Mirror remained with House of Tomorrow backer Endemol Shine, now owned by Banijay Group. Netflix worked out a licensing deal with Banijay to continue producing Black Mirror episodes.
Although Black Mirror is an anthology series, many familiar themes run throughout its episodes, often portraying dystopian futures shaped by technology while commenting on the present. Some episodes have also been pastiches of popular genres, such as the acclaimed Season 4 science fiction episode “USS Callister” and the police procedural episode “Hated in the Nation” in Season 3. There are also Easter eggs sprinkled in the series that reference other episodes. “San Junipero,” “USS Callister” and Bandersnatch all won the Outstanding Television Movie Primetime Emmys. The series also won Best TV Movie/Miniseries at the 2021 International Emmy Awards.
Season 5 included only three episodes, all written by Brooker. “Striking Vipers” starred Anthony Mackie, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Nicole Braharie, and Pom Klentieff. Andrew Scott, Topher Grace, and Damson Idris starred in “Smithereens.” Miley Cyrus starred in “Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too,” alongside Madison Davenport and Angourie Rice.
