Dystopian anthology series Black Mirror has been a big hit on Netflix ever since it premiered over 10 years ago. Featuring some of Hollywood's finest actors, each episode explores contemporary issues, usually with an unexpected, sci-fi twist. The 2018 special episode, Bandersnatch, even made viewers take part in a 'choose your own adventure' story.
Now, season seven is back and all available on Netflix and we're in equal parts terrified and desperate to watch.
We know we can expect a sequel to award-winning episode 'USS Callister' and the presence of Will Poulter suggests we'll be getting a 'Bandersnatch' follow-up too. Emma Corrin, Issa Rae, Tracey Ellis Ross and pretty much any actor you could think of will star in this season.
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Discussing how Black Mirror came to be in the first place, creator, writer, and producer Charlie Brooker told the Financial Times in June 2023, 'The show began because I wanted to do something that was unlike other programs, and had a lot of variety in it, because it stops me getting bored.' Unsurprisingly, fans quickly became obsessed with the show’s unpredictable standalone stories. After a long-awaited sixth season arrived in 2023, Black Mirror is now back for more. Here’s what we know about the seventh season.
Is Black Mirror available now?
Yes, Netflix officially renewed Black Mirror for a seventh season in November 2023, months after the season 6 premiere.
Season 6 hit Netflix on June 15, four years after season 5 was released on June 5, 2019. Now series 7 is available too.
When did it come out?
Black Mirror returned on April 10 at 8am.
What is Black Mirror season 7 about?
Every season of Black Mirror ups the ante, exploring the intersection of technology and humanity in ever more distressing ways. As a result, the team behind the Netflix show has its work cut out for it should Black Mirror return for a seventh season.
'You can expect a mix of genres and styles,' Brooker told Tudum of the upcoming season. 'We've got six episodes this time, and two of them are basically feature-length. Some of them are deeply unpleasant, some are quite funny, and some are emotional.'
One of the episodes will also be a sequel to season 4’s 'USS Callister'.
'Fans of the show will recognize the cast of a certain spaceship from one of our episodes reappearing,' Brooker added. 'We’ve done a sequel for the first time in Black Mirror history. Normally, I kill off all the characters at the end of an episode, and I kept some of ’em alive. I’m growing as a human.'
Who stars in Black Mirror season 7?
- Awkwafina (Jackpot)
- Milanka Brooks (Mum And I Don't Talk Anymore)
- Peter Capaldi (Criminal Record)
- Emma Corrin (Deadpool and Wolverine)
- Patsy Ferran (Firebrand)
- Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers)
- Lewis Gribben (Blade Runner 2099)
- Osy Ikhile (Citadel)
- Rashida Jones (Sunny)
- Siena Kelly (Domino Day)
- Billy Magnussen (Road House)
- Rosy McEwen (Blue Jean)
- Cristin Milioti (The Penguin)
- Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids)
- Issa Rae (Insecure)
- Paul G. Raymond (Horrible Histories)
- Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish)
- Jimmi Simpson (Westworld)
- Harriet Walter (Succession)
Discussing the season 6 cast (which included Salma Hayek and Annie Murphy), Brooker told Tudum, 'Bringing it all to life we’ve got an incredible roster of disgustingly skillful, smart directors working with a cast of actors so talented they frankly have no right to exist.'
What else has Charlie Brooker said about Black Mirror?
During an interview with Empire magazine in June 2023, the show’s creator, Charlie Brooker, revealed that he’d used ChatGPT to write an episode of the show. 'The first thing I did was type "generate Black Mirror episode" and it comes up with something that, at first glance, reads plausibly, but on second glance, is shit,' he explained. 'Because all it’s done is look up all the synopses of Black Mirror episodes, and sort of mush them together.' While ChatGPT definitely feels like something out of a Black Mirror episode, it’s not about to replace the show’s writers.
In the same interview, Brooker suggested that future seasons of Black Mirror could literally explore any topic. 'There’s no point in having an anthology show if you can’t break your own rules,' he told Empire. 'Just a sort of nice, cold glass of water in the face.' Basically, when it comes to the seventh season, expect the unexpected.
This story has been updated.
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Amy Mackelden is a freelance writer, editor, and disability activist. Her bylines include Harper's BAZAAR, Nicki Swift, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, ELLE, The Independent, Bustle, Healthline, and HelloGiggles. She co-edited The Emma Press Anthology of Illness, and previously spent all of her money on Kylie Cosmetics.
