It’s been almost a year since the last new episode of the British anthology Black Mirror, and over two years since the last season. But that is about to dramatically change.
Earlier this month, Netflix was rumored to have picked up Black Mirror for another season, and now it is official. Netflix has commissioned a new 12 episode third season of Black Mirror, with series creator Charlie Brooker and producer Annabel Jones remaining with the series. Up to this point, there were only seven episodes of Black Mirror across four years and two seasons on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom.
“It’s all very exciting — a whole new bunch of Black Mirror episodes on the most fitting platform imaginable,” said Brooker in a brief statement. “Netflix connects us with a global audience so that we can create bigger, stranger, more international and diverse stories than before, whilst maintaining that ‘Black Mirror’ feel. I just hope none of these new story ideas come true.”
Related: Black Mirror Will Return as a Netflix Original Series
The revival of Black Mirror was largely due to the sizable audience that it attracted on Netflix when it debuted on the streaming service in 2014. Because each episode of Black Mirror tells a different story with a new cast, Netflix may even have the clout to bring in more established stars for the new season. Mad Men’s Jon Hamm appeared in the Black Mirror Christmas special, and Robert Downey, Jr. optioned the episode “The Entire History of You” as a feature film. Potentially, there are other Hollywood performers who want to participate in some way.
Fair warning to the uninitiated, Black Mirror is a very, very dark show with some sci-fi elements. Do you remember that recent report about British Prime Minister David Cameron placing his penis in the mouth of a dead pig? Black Mirror got there first in 2011. That’s the very first episode of the series, and there are a lot of people who skip that episode for that very reason.
Netflix has not yet set a premiere date for Black Mirror Season 3, but given the intense fan following of the series, a 2016 premiere would be very likely.
