Black Mirror

‘Black Mirror’ Season 7: Everything We Know About Netflix’s Cult Series

Dean Blake
By Dean Blake - News

Published:

Readtime: 7 min

The Lowdown:

Season 6 | Image: Netflix

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Black Mirror is one of those shows that you never can be quite sure what’s coming, but Netflix finally announced that a seventh season is coming next year, and that it’s got some big names attached already. The sci-fi anthology series that switches it up every episode is also doing its first-ever follow-up episode, continuing the story of the season four opener ‘USS Callister’.

The eagerly anticipated renewal of the dystopian sci-fi epic comes as no surprise, given the series’ longstanding popularity and the impressive viewership numbers of Black Mirror season six, which secured a spot in the Top 10 in 92 countries, according to Netflix.

Black Mirror | Image: Netflix
Cristin Milioti previously appeared on USS Callister | Image: Netflix

Black Mirror Season 7

While we have no real idea of what we’ll see in season seven (as it should be), let’s break down everything we do know. Announced as part of Netflix’s ‘Geeked Week’, series creator Charlie Brooker said that the show has gone ‘back to basics’ and will be focusing on the techno-dystopia and sci-fi elements that made the first few seasons such classics.

At the event, Netflix also dropped a brief cryptic teaser for the upcoming season, teasing the episode count and a familiar score. The under-30-second teaser features six loading symbols spinning across the screen, representing the six episodes of season seven, however, the real intrigue lies in the final symbol. It glows alongside a swelling spacefaring score that will be familiar to long-time fans of the series. The teaser indicates that Black Mirror season seven will return to the USS Callister from season four, diving back into that twisted world in a mind-bending sequel episode.

Netflix went on to tease what’s to come in its press release, stating, “Charlie Brooker’s dark, satirical anthology series Black Mirror will return for season seven in 2025 with six brand new episodes, including a sequel to the sci-fi adventure USS Callister…Robert Daly is dead, but for the crew of the USS Callister, their problems are just beginning.”

Known for its dark social commentary, Black Mirror‘s season four premiere episode, “USS Callister,” is undoubtedly one of the best in the series. It stars Jesse Plemons as Robert Daly, a brilliant but withdrawn programmer who co-founded a popular massively multiplayer online game (MMO). Frustrated by a lack of recognition, Daly builds a dark secret within the game: a Star Trek-inspired simulated reality where he, as the captain, controls digital clones of his co-workers. But when newcomer Nanette Cole (Cristin Milioti) joins the game, she disrupts the status quo and sparks a rebellion that challenges Daly’s power.

Black Mirror season 7 will include a follow up of the 'USS Callister' episode from 'Black Mirror' season 4 | Image: Netflix
Black Mirror season 7 will include a follow up of the ‘USS Callister’ episode from ‘Black Mirror’ season 4 | Image: Netflix

Black Mirror Season 7 Confirmed Cast

The Netflix-exclusive series has already seen some impressive a-listers join its ranks, but season seven is already bringing out the big guns. In fact, by way of a pretty cryptic teaser, Brooker announced 19 actors that’ll be appearing in the next season, as well as asking “is the entire internet wrong?”

Here is who we know will be appearing in Black Mirror season seven.

  • Awkwafina
  • Milanka Brooks
  • Peter Capaldi
  • Emma Corrin
  • Patsy Ferran
  • Paul Giamatti
  • Lewis Gribben
  • Osy Ikhile
  • Rashida Jones
  • Siena Kelly
  • Billy Magnussen
  • Rosy McEwen
  • Cristin Milioti
  • Chris O’Dowd
  • Issa Rae
  • Paul G. Raymond
  • Tracee Ellis Ross
  • Jimmi Simpson
  • Harriet Walter

There are some huge names on there, as well as some returning faces. In particular, Christin Milioti, Jimmi Simpson, Billy Magnussen, Milanka Brooks, Osy Ikhile, and Paul G. Raymond previously appeared in the USS Callister episode.

“Normally, I kill off all the characters at the end of an episode, and I kept some of ’em alive,” Brooker said. “I’m growing as a human.”

Aaron Paul in 'Black Mirror' season 6 | Image: Netflix
Aaron Paul in Black Mirror Season 6 | Image: Netflix

How Many Episodes Will There Be?

Each season of Black Mirror has generally had between three and six episodes, and it seems that the volume has been increased for season seven.

“You can expect a mix of genres and styles,” Brooker said. “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.”

While we’re not sure we’ll have something quite as prescient as the series’ opener, given the state the world is in today, we’re sure to see Brooker and co. tackle issues like crypto, AI, data privacy, blockchain, and the metaverse bubble that has well and truly burst.

When is Season 7 Coming Out?

Beyond the episode count and a somewhat vague 2025 release window, not much else is known about Black Mirror season seven. Last year, Variety reported that the upcoming season will go into production sometime during this year, with executive producers Charlie Brooker, Annabel Jones, and Jessica Rhoades expected to be back at the helm. Black Mirror season seven hits Netflix sometime in 2025. If you want to catch up on the previous seasons (or more specifically re-watch USS Callister), you can find it on Netflix.

Black Mirror Season 6
Image: Netflix

What is Black Mirror?

If you’ve been living under a rock, Black Mirror is an anthology series that focuses heavily on dystopian themes and typically ping-pongs between styles, with one episode being a dramatic horror and the following a romantic comedy. The title, Black Mirror, is meant to represent the screen you use to watch it, whether that be a phone, a monitor, or a TV.

Brooker, who started working on the show in the late 2000s, modelled the style of Black Mirror off the classic Twilight Zone premise, in which every episode is a wholly unique concept, which would allow it to tackle as many ideas as possible.

The show has delivered 27 episodes across six seasons and a full-length choose-your-own-adventure film, Bandersnatch. It is widely considered one of the better shows of the past decade and was purchased by Netflix in 2016.

Salma Hayek in 'Black Mirror' season 6 | Image: Netflix
Salma Hayek in Black Mirror Season 6 | Image: Netflix

Black Mirror Season 7 Production Updates

Executive producers Charlie Brooker, Annabel Jones, and Jessica Rhoades are expected to be back at the helm. The renewal news follows a slip-up from Netflix France, who inadvertently confirmed Black Mirror Season 7 in a now-deleted tweet.

“We forgot two announcements and not just any two announcements,” the streamer tweeted (as reported by What’s On Netflix). “Love, Death & Robots S4 and Black Mirror S7, coming soon, too!”

Naturally, details about the plot or the number of episodes for Black Mirror Season 7 are also being closely guarded, and there’s no information regarding the release date. Seasons 5 and 6 faced delays in part due to the complexities surrounding the rights to Black Mirror.

In January 2020, Charlie Brooker and creative partner Annabel Jones departed from their production company, House of Tomorrow (backed by Endemol Shine), to establish Broke and Bones at Netflix. Despite the move, the rights to Black Mirror remained with Endemol Shine, which was later acquired by Banijay Group in 2020. As of now, Banijay Rights is responsible for licensing the show to Netflix.

The dystopian sci-fi series is often lauded for its eerie ability to predict the future of tech and humanity in unsettling ways. Season six, which premiered earlier in June, featured one standout episode that delved into Streamberry, a streaming service using AI to live-edit people’s lives into shows for its platform. Charlie Brooker shared with Variety that the episode was written before AI programs like ChatGPT took over the globe.

Expressing his ongoing concern about AI and ChatGPT during a London rally supporting the writers’ strike earlier in the year, Brooker stated, “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. That’s a particular concern to me, so that’s why I’m here.” When questioned if the episode was another instance of Black Mirror predicting the future, he responded with regret, saying, “Unfortunately, in this case.”

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Dean Blake

Journalist - Tech, Entertainment & Features

Dean Blake

Dean Blake is Man of Many's Technology, Entertainment and Features journalist. He has vast experience working across online and print journalism, and has played more video games, watched more documentaries, and played more Dungeons & Dragons than he'd care to ...