Netflix is developing a new “Black Mirror” series, Variety has learned.
Season 5 of the dystopian drama launched on the streaming site in June 2019, and sources say that a new anthology season of “Black Mirror” is in the works, with casting underway.
While precise plot elements are being kept under wraps, Variety understands that Season 6 will include more episodes than Season 5, which featured Andrew Scott, Anthony Mackie, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Topher Grace, and Miley Cyrus and had only three episodes.
According to a source close to the production, the latest season is even more cinematic in scope, with each episode being treated as a standalone film. This is, of course, consistent with recent seasons of “Black Mirror,” in which episodes typically lasted more than 60 minutes and featured lavish production standards.
According to a source close to the production, the latest season is even more cinematic in scope, with each episode being treated as a standalone film. This is, of course, consistent with recent seasons of “Black Mirror,” in which episodes typically lasted more than 60 minutes and featured lavish production standards.
The rights to “Black Mirror” remained with parent firm Endemol Shine Group when Brooker and Jones departed House of Tomorrow, and were eventually acquired by Banijay Group in the summer of 2020. Brooker and Jones were effectively barred from producing any additional seasons for Netflix until an agreement with Banijay was reached, and fans worried that the programme might be cancelled.
“At the moment, I don’t know what stomach there would be for stories about society falling apart, so I’m not working away on one of them,” Brooker told the UK’s Radio Times magazine at the height of the pandemic two years ago. I’ve been creating scripts to make myself laugh since I’m interested in revisiting my comedy skills.”
Banijay Rights, the distribution arm of the business that owns both the format and finished-tape rights to “Black Mirror,” has apparently agreed to licence the hit show to Netflix.
Since joining the Netflix family, Brooker has kept a low profile. Brooker, who is best known for his BBC review formats “Weekly Wipe” and “Screenwipe,” gave his Netflix year-in-review show “Death to 2020” a similar spin, bringing in a stable of celebs to lend star power and deliver Brooker’s gags themselves. Last year, Netflix released a programme called “Death to 2021.” He also executive produced the special “Attack of the Hollywood Clichés!” in the interim.
Brooker’s smart animated interactive short “Cat Burglar,” which encouraged viewers to answer trivia questions in order to advance the tale of a cat named Rowdy who is attempting to steal art from a museum, debuted in February on the streamer. The concert was a tribute to Tex Avery, a cartoonist who helped create classic cartoon characters including Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.
Despite this, two years after joining Netflix, Brooker is still practically associated with “Black Mirror,” so it’s understandable that the streaming service wants it back.
Though the show began life on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom, where it aired for two seasons, it was transformed into a global phenomenon on Netflix, with big-budget, celebrity-laden episodes like “San Junipero” and “USS Callister” taking the show’s dark heart to dizzying heights and winning a slew of awards.
