Netflix’s dystopian sci-fi hit “Black Mirror” has been renewed for a 7th season. The Charlie Brooker-created series just returned to the streamer earlier this year after a four-year hiatus. Absence made the heart grow fonder since season 6 reached the top 10 in 92 countries and spent four weeks in Netflix’s global top 10.
At this point, no plot or casting decisions have been made public. Let alone a ballpark on the number of episodes we may get for season 7 of “Black Mirror.” It is currently believed that executive producers Brooker, Annabel Jones, and Jessica Rhoades will be returning. However, we do know there are plans to start production later this year.
Surprises are kind of the show’s shtick. Season 6 ran for five episodes and had several A-list cast members including Salma Hayek, Annie Murphy, Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett, and Paapa Essiedu. Whereas season 5 was only three episodes starring Andrew Scott, Anthony Mackie, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Topher Grace, and Miley Cyrus. Given the inconsistent episode runs and revolving cast, it’s anyone’s guess what the next season will look like.
The series’ hiatus was caused by some serious issues with the rights to the show itself. Creative partners Brooker and Jones left their production company House of Tomorrow, a subsidiary of Endemol Shine in January 2020. The duo set up a new production banner, Broke and Bones, under Netflix. The issue is, with the terms of their deal, Endemol Shine retained the rights to “Black Mirror.” To complicate matters even more, that same year Endemol Shine was acquired by Banijay Group.
Banijay Group licenses the series to Netflix, which isn’t necessarily ideal, but the views “Black Mirror” gets are too much to pass up. The show’s ravenous viewership often points to how prophetic the series can be. The most recent example is the first episode of season 6, about a streaming service which is co-opting people’s lives in real-time. By using AI technology to turn them into shows for its platform.
Brooker was very clear in interviews that the episode was written before the AI program ChatGPT became national news. And before its use became a focal point for both the (now resolved) WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
“I worry for a living — it’s generally what I do— and I’m very worried about AI and the use of ChatGPT and things like that,” Brooker said earlier this year at a London rally during the WGA strike. “That’s a particular concern to me, so that’s why I’m here.” When he was asked if the episode was another example of “Black Mirror” predicting the future he replied: “Unfortunately, in this case.”
We’ll keep you posted on any breadcrumbs we may get about “Black Mirror” season 7 as they become available.
