The hit Netflix dystopia series Black Mirror has been confirmed to return for a sixth season four years after the conclusion of its latest run. The show, which initially aired on Channel 4 in the UK for its first two seasons, has been stalled over the past few years due to a stalemate between Netflix and the owner of Black Mirror.
The stalling disputes have occurred between the streaming giant and the IP owner Endemol Shine Group. It all began when creators Annabel Jones and Charlie Brooker departed Endemol Shine Group to start their new company, Broke and Bones.
In July 2020, Netflix struck a “landmark deal” with Brooker and Jones taking a controlling stake in the new establishment. However, the Black Mirror license still belongs to Endemol Shine Group, so any future episodes would require either a lease agreement or a complete sale of the rights.
The trail ran cold until May 2022, when Variety announced that a deal had been reached and a sixth season was under active development. “It’s been almost three years since Season 5 of the dystopian drama premiered on the streaming service in June 2019, but sources indicate that a new anthology series of Black Mirror is shaping up, and casting is now underway,” Variety reported at the time.
While details were sparse, they added: “A source close to the production tells Variety that the latest season is even more cinematic in scope, with each instalment being treated as an individual film. This is, of course, in line with recent seasons of Black Mirror. for which episodes usually exceeded 60 minutes and had incredibly high production values.”
Since then, some of the star-studded cast has been revealed alongside the directional team behind the new episodes. The directors confirmed are Toby Haynes, Uta Briesewitz, John Crowley and Ally Pankiw.
The most excitement came when Aaron Paul, the actor behind Breaking Bad’s Jesse, was confirmed for episode one. According to The Sun, Paul’s episode was filmed in the UK throughout July 2022 in Rye, East Sussex. The report stated: “In a video, the A-lister could be seen wearing 1950s clothing, and a classic old-fashioned truck was parked on the street.”
At present, there is no confirmed date for the Season Six premiere, but in August last year, Zazie Beetz confirmed to Deadline that filming for the new series had been completed. See the list of confirmed cast members below.
Black Mirror Season 6 cast:
- Aaron Paul
- Zazie Beetz
- Paapa Essiedu
- Josh Hartnett
- Kate Mara
- Danny Ramirez
- Salma Hayek
- Annie Murphy
- Rob Delaney
- Myha Herrold
- Clara Rugaard
- Rory Culkin
- Auden Thornton
- Anjana Vasan