Black Mirror Season 6 Cover Photo – Picture: Netflix
Black Mirror is returning for season 6 on Netflix in June 2023. If you can believe it, it’s been four years since the last season arrived and after years of stalemate between Netflix and the owner of Black Mirror, a return is finally upon us. Here’s the rundown on everything you need about Black Mirror season 6 described as “the most unpredictable, unclassifiable and unexpected yet.”
The anthology series began its life on Channel 4 in the UK for its first two seasons before Netflix picked it up and produced three additional seasons plus an interactive special. The show is helmed by Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones, who works with Netflix now exclusively under their Brokes & Bones banner.
Beyond Black Mirror, the pair have produced Attack of the Hollywood Cliches!, Cat Burglar, and Death to 202X.
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There’s a lot to cover, so let’s dig into everything we know about Netflix’s sixth season of Black Mirror:
Why has Black Mirror taken so long to be renewed for season 6?
The series’ renewal has been on ice due to Netflix’s disputes with the IP owner, Endemol Shine Group.
Those disputes seemingly came to a head upon the news that Annabel Jones and Charlie Brooker departed Endemol Shine Group to start their new company, and things went quiet on Black Mirror after that.
In July 2020, Netflix struck a “landmark deal” with Brooker and Jones taking a controlling stake in the new company, Broke & Bones.
But as it pertains to Black Mirror, the license remained at the old company, and any future season would require an agreement to either license again for a new season or buy the rights outright.
Deadline stated back in July 2020:
“Three sources said that Netflix and Endemol Shine have held talks about transferring the brand, but an agreement is still thought to be some way off. In the meantime, there is nothing stopping Brooker and Jones bringing their distinctive style to other dystopian dramas, but they just won’t be badged as Black Mirror.”
Since that article, Endemol Shine Group has been sold to the Banijay Group.
Cr. Nick Wall/Netflix © 2023.
Before the disputes, the creators of the show were optimistic about the show’s future soon after season 5 was released on Netflix. Speaking to Yahoo, Charlie Brooker said that “Maybe we should cast someone like Barack Obama, he’d be good.”
In 2021, we got word that Black Mirror may return in a spinoff form.
We’ve seen production listings (as had other outlets) that Netflix was (or still is) actively developing a follow-up to USS Callister, which came in season 4 (more on this in a bit). Aaron Paul, you may remember, was featured right at the end of that episode. Of course, he could be starring in another episode, but it’s worth noting.
Black Mirror Season 6 Renewed at Netflix in 2022
Black Mirror went quiet again until May 2022, when Variety reported that a deal has been reached and season 6 was in active-development at Netflix (Banijay and Netflix declined to comment on their story).
Their report stated:
“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.
While details about specific stories are being kept under lock and key, Variety understands that Season 6 will have more episodes than Season 5…
… 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.”
Who will star in Black Mirror Season 6 on Netflix?
We’ve had the announcement of some huge stars for the sixth season, but at the moment, it’s unclear which episodes each will be assigned to. Therefore, we’ll include a giant cast list of everyone confirmed for season 6, but bear in mind each will only appear in one episode.
That was followed up in July 2022 with the news that numerous new cast members have joined the production and that season 6 will be longer than season 5 (more than three episodes).
Among the stars set to feature in season 6 includes:
- Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)
- Zazie Beetz (Atlanta)
- Paapa Essiedu (The Lazarus Project)
- Josh Hartnett (Penny Dreadful)
- Kate Mara (House of Cards)
- Danny Ramirez (Top Gun: Maverick)
- Salma Hayek (Frida)
- Annie Murphy (Schitt’s Creek)
- Rob Delaney (Catastrophe)
- Myha Herrold (Industry)
- Clara Rugaard (Love Gets A Room)
- Rory Culkin (Signs)
- Auden Thornton (Arlington Road)
- Anjana Vasan (Spider-Man: Far From Home)
- Ben Barnes (Shadow & Bone)
- Daniel Portman (The Control Room)
- Himesh Patel (Tenet, Yesterday)
- John Hanna (Sliding Doors)
- Michael Cera (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Arrested Development)
- Monica Dolan (W1A)
- Myha’la Herrold (Industry)
- Paapa Essiedu (The Lazarus Project)
- Samuel Blenkin (Rhyme or Die)
Cast grid for Black Mirror Season 6 on Netflix
Other cast members we’ve been able to find in season 6 are:
Who’s directing episodes in Black Mirror season 6?
So far, thanks to sleuthing on our part and others, we’ve found several directors who will be doing episodes in season 6.
- Toby Haynes will return to direct in season 6, according to two of the actor’s profiles above. Haynes notably directed the USS Callister episode in season 3. Elsewhere, Haynes worked on Andor for Disney+.
- Uta Briesewitz – Primetime Emmy nominated director who has worked on The Wheel of Time, Stranger Things, and Westworld. Attached to the episode Mazey Day.
- John Crowley, best known for Brooklyn (2015) and Intermission (2003), is listed in several places to be directing in season 6 and/or working with Netflix in 2022.
- Ally Pankiw is the Canadian director who will be directing Netflix’s Feel Good series but also filmed her Black Mirror episode in London in late 2022.
Ally Pankiw wraps Black Mirror episode
So bringing together what we know, here are the episodes of Black Mirror season 6:
- Episode 601: Demon 79 – Directed by Toby Haynes
- Northern England, 1979. A meek sales assistant is told she must commit terrible acts to prevent disaster.
- Episode 602: Mazey Day – Directed by Uta Briesewitz
- A troubled starlet is dogged by invasive paparazzi while dealing with the consequences of a hit-and-run incident.
- Episode 603: Beyond the Sea – Directed by John Crowley
- In an alternative 1969, two men on a perilous high-tech mission wrestle with the consequences of an unimaginable tragedy.
- Episode 604: Loch Henry – Directed by Adam Jenkins/Sam Miller
- A young couple travel to a sleepy Scottish town to start work on a genteel nature documentary, but find themselves drawn to a juicy local story involving shocking events of the past.
- Episode 605: Joan is Awful – Directed by Ally Pankiw
- An average woman is stunned to discover a global streaming platform has launched a prestige TV drama adaptation of her life — in which she is portrayed by Hollywood A-lister Salma Hayek Pinault.
Netflix confirmed these episode titles on May 11th alongside some brand new details about what we can expect from each episode. We’ve embedded those above.
wait until you see how this all unfolds. pic.twitter.com/YZTCqvjKG0
— Black Mirror (@blackmirror) May 11, 2023
So far, we know season 6 will have at least five episodes. Netflix officially announced no episode count beyond Variety, reporting it would be more than season 5, which consisted of three episodes.
When did production take place on Black Mirror Season 6?
Again, tracking production hasn’t been easy because of the anthology nature of the series. That’s in addition to the fact this is a notoriously hard production to track generally.
The entire sixth season of Black Mirror was filmed under the codename Red Book.
With that said, thanks to local reporting, we know roughly when filming took place on some episodes within season 6.
In June 2022, The Olive Press reported that one of the episodes was filmed in Costa Del Sol. They note that the episode was filmed at San Pedro, Marbella, Estepona, and the Loasur Studios in Coin. This report was backed up by Sur In English, who reported, “the platform [Netflix] has been filming a series on the Costa del Sol,”
Also in June, a film crew was spotted in Harrow for a rumored project tied to the codename Red Book.
Zazie Beetz confirmed to Deadline in August 2022 that she had wrapped filming in June 2022.
Zazie Beetz confirms she’s wrapped production on new season of ‘Black Mirror’ pic.twitter.com/sMQF0dMsQu
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) August 2, 2022
Aaron Paul’s episode of Black Mirror was filmed in the United Kingdom throughout July 2022 in Rye, East Sussex, per The Sun. Their report states, “In a video the A-lister could be seen wearing 1950s clothing, and a classic old-fashioned truck was parked on the street.”
We’ve also seen evidence that one episode of season 6 will be filmed in Coatbridge and Glasgow, Scotland.
When will Season 6 of Black Mirror release on Netflix?
The series has been announced for release in June 2023. Exact release date TBD.
Picture: Netflix
Cr. Daniel Escale/Netflix © 2023.
Picture: Netflix
Picture: Netflix
Picture: Netflix
We’ll keep this article updated as we learn of new Black Mirror season 6 developments. Let us know in the comments if you’re looking forward to more Black Mirror on Netflix.