LIFE & CULTURE

‘Black Mirror’ Season Six Is Here—And The Cast Is Stacked

Your next existential crisis awaits.
Loading the player...

Warning: This story contains spoilers about Black Mirror.

Ever since Black Mirror first aired on Netflix back in 2011, the world has been in awe. Not only have each of its harrowing and eerily realistic storylines stuck in audience minds, but some fans even believe the show has predicted real life events.

Now, sci-fi lovers can breathe a sigh of relief and prepare to side-eye every piece of technology they own because a sixth season of Black Mirror is here.

Following the anthology’s incredibly short three-episode fifth season, Black Mirror is returning with even more storylines in a five-episode sixth season. 

But what’s the best bit? Well, it has to be the endless parade of famous faces Netflix adds to the cast list every season—and season 6 is no exception. 

Below is everything we know about Black Mirror season 6—from the first teaser trailer to the star-studded cast and release date.

annie-murphy-black-mirror-season-6
Annie Murphy, aka Alexis Rose from ‘Schitt’s Creek’ stars in the first episode of season 6. (Credit: Netflix)

Is there a trailer for Black Mirror season 6 and who is cast?

The first teaser trailer for season 6 was released earlier this year, and let’s just say, it did not disappoint.

With every season of Black Mirror comes a plethora of famous and familiar faces, previously including Miley Cyrus, John Hamm, Daniel Kaluuya and Bryce Dallas Howard, to name a few. The A-list celebrity cast list of season six is here to send us into waves of distress throughout the new season.

The cast of season six will include Salma Hayek, Rob Delaney (Catastrophe), Michael Cera, Annie Murphy (Schitt’s Creek), Rory Culkin (Under The Banner Of Heaven), Zazie Beetz (Atlanta), Paapa Essiedu (The Lazarus Project), Josh Harnett (Penny Dreadful), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad), Kate Mara (House Of Cards), Danny Ramirez (Top Gun: Maverick), Clara Rugaard (Teen Spirit), Auden Thornton (True Story) and Anjana Vasan (Killing Eve).

Black Mirror
Kate Mara, Zazie Beetz and Aaron Paul

What was the behind-the-scenes drama of Black Mirror season 6? 

After season five aired in 2019, fans of Black Mirror were panicked about whether the dystopian anthology series would return for another instalment. And that fear was seemingly justified after a series of disagreements with the Endemol Shine Group and the show’s team.

Apparently, said disputes stemmed from Black Mirror producers Annabel Jones and Charlie Brooker leaving Endemol Shine Group to start their own company with financial backing by Netflix. Following their departure from the company, any progress on Black Mirror‘s sixth season halted, seemingly because their license still remained at the old company.

Brooker also added to the uncertainty in 2021, telling UK’s Radio Times, “At the moment, I don’t know what stomach there would be for stories about societies falling apart, so I’m not working away on one of those. I’m sort of keen to revisit my comic skill set, so I’ve been writing scripts aimed at making myself laugh.”

But fears were eschewed after Variety reported in May 2022 that the show would gear-up for its return to our small screens, thanks to a deal reached with Netflix and Endemol, now taken over by The Banijay Group.

What will happen in Black Mirror season 6? 

As we know, Black Mirror is an anthology series, meaning that every season—and even every episode—serves as a completely new story with new characters. It seems season 6 will stick to this recipe, with Netflix saying it will be the show’s “most unpredictable” season yet.

The episodes will vary in location and time, with two eps venturing back to 1969 and 1979. The first episode (‘Joan Is Awful’, starring Salma Hayek and Annie Murphy) will follow an ordinary woman who realises a streaming service has turned her life into a TV drama. You can read other episodes here.

Brooker also gave audiences a hint of what to expect, saying:

“I’ve always felt that Black Mirror should feature stories that are entirely distinct from one another, and keep surprising people — and myself — or else what’s the point? It should be a series that can’t be easily defined, and can keep reinventing itself.”

He also added that, “this time, alongside some of the more familiar Black Mirror tropes we’ve also got a few new elements, including some I’ve previously sworn blind the show would never do, to stretch the parameters of what ‘a Black Mirror episode’ even is. The stories are all still tonally Black Mirror through-and-through — but with some crazy swings and more variety than ever before.” 

Listen, it’s safe to say that season 6 is bound to be jam-packed with black humour, eerie sci-fi and plenty of existential dread.

When Will Black Mirror Season Six Air?

Season six of Black Mirror will air in Australia on Netflix on June 15, from 5pm AEST.

Where to watch Black Mirror in Australia

Black Mirror seasons 1 to 6 are currently available to stream on Netflix.

Be sure to catch up on past episodes of Black Mirror on Netflix by logging in or signing up to watch here.

Related stories