The actor Josh Hartnett will be performing in the forthcoming season six of Black Mirror, the science fiction anthology series created by Charlie Brooker. Hartnett has revealed how he was drawn to the show in a new interview.
“I don’t think technology is inherently good or bad, but the way we use it can be very destructive,” Harnett told The Independent of the show’s premise, which often looks at the dangers of technology.
He added, “I don’t know if entertainment would want to be optimistic about artificial intelligence from a storytelling standpoint. Like, who wants to watch a kumbaya story about AI, you know?”
Another facet of Black Mirror that Hartnett admires is the satirical element, which makes sense given Charlie Brooker’s history in television, working on the likes of Nathan Barley and The 11 O’Clock Show.
“I think if you’re going to give people a heavy dose of dystopia, you need some levity,” Harnett said. “Even if the darkness is front and centre in his shows, there’s always that element of ‘this is really funny’.”
“I have an artistic mind, and I want to follow things that are somehow just outside of my understanding,” the actor added. “Does that necessarily make for a cohesive career in a movie star sense? No. But before the last few years, I just had less of a chance to do it.”
Check out the trailer for Black Mirror season six below.
