"Black Mirror" Season 5: Release Date, Episode Titles, Trailers, Cast And Everything We Know So Far

10 January 2018, 17:17

By Katie Louise Smith

Black Mirror will likely stream on Netflix before 2019, so when can fans expect the return of Charlie Brooker's dark anthology? How many episodes can fans look forward to? And are there any surprising plans for the show's fifth season?

Have you recovered from the fourth season of Black Mirror yet? Great! Because it's time to get ready for season five and prepare for your next existential crisis. Netflix confirmed that the anthology series will return on the platform for a fifth season, however, details are few and far between.

Despite the slow drip of information regarding the upcoming fifth series of Black Mirror, fans can almost certainly expect to stream it before 2019. Bloomberg is reporting that season 5 of Black Mirror will have an interactive episode as well.

From the release date to the cast, the trailers and the all important episode titles, here's everything you need to know about the upcoming fifth season of Black Mirror on Netflix:

Is there going to be a fifth season of Black Mirror?

Black Mirror season five was officially confirmed by Netflix on March 5th 2018. The show's verified Twitter account shared a blink-and-you'll-miss-it length teaser that featured screens depicting the iconic show's memorable scenes and moments.

Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker's initial deal with Netflix was for two six-episode seasons but due to the popularity of the series and the relevant subject matter, a fifth season will air on Netflix, likely before 2019 (The first two seasons aired on UK's Channel 4.)

Back in March 2018, Brooker reportedly told an audience at the Royal Television Society Awards that filming for episode 1 of season 5 had already begun. In April, filming commenced in Croydon, South London, where locals reported seeing retro store fronts, perhaps indicating an episode set in the 80s.

When will Black Mirror season 5 be released?

As of October, Black Mirror's release date has not yet been confirmed. However Bloomberg reports that Netflix is eyeing a December 2019 release.

Going on previous cycles of the show (season three was released on Netflix on October 21, 2016 and season four on December 29, 2017), this seems very likely.

How many episodes will there be in Black Mirror season 5?

There is currently no information on the exact number of episodes in season five. Seasons 1 and 2 both contained three episodes while seasons 3 and 4 both had six.

Due to the popularity and demand (and the fact that the show's distributor is now Netflix instead of Channel 4), season five could follow the trend of the latter two seasons and end up as a six episode season.

Netflix is planning a "choose your own adventure" episode, according to reports.

Though Charlie Brooker and Netflix tend to keep things under wraps when it comes to Black Mirror, a report from Bloomberg indicates that an interactive "choose your own adventure" style episode is planned for season 5.

Bloomberg notes that the Black Mirror "episode is the first of several experiments with live-action interactive programming for Netflix, and the first interactive show designed for adult viewers."

Who will be in the cast for Black Mirror season 5?

Casting choices for season 5 have not yet been revealed It's unlikely that any actors will be returning as the cast changes every season. But there could be a few exceptions.

Michaela Coel, who played Shania in 'USS Callister', also appeared in season three's 'Nosedive'. There have also been talks of doing "sequels" to certain episodes which would mean previous cast members may return to the show.

Will there be any sequels to past Black Mirror episodes in season five?

While every episode in Black Mirror is a self-contained episode, there has been talk of doing sequels for certain episodes. One of those episodes is the season two episode 'White Bear'. Speaking to The Independent, Charlie Brooker said, “It’d probably be a heck of a job to go back and recreate the entire fucking park because it’s gone now. It might work better as a graphic novel or something like that.”

It's also been reported that season four episode 'USS Callister,' was likely to either get its own spin-off series or be revisited by Black Mirror as an episode sequel. Director Toby Haynes told The Hollywood Reporter that a return to this world in some form or another seems likely.  

“I was talking with Louise Sutton, who produced this and ”Metalhead,“ and she cooked up a brilliant idea of spinning it off into a TV series. I’m keen to see it as a TV series. I think Charlie might revisit it as a Black Mirror. Whether I’m the one to do it, I don’t know,” he said.

And those looking for a sequel to the "best Black Mirror episode of all time", 'San Junipero', won't ever be in luck. Brooker told NME: “In terms of a sequel to San Junipero, no, certainly not in its current form – I don’t think we’d revisit those characters unless we had a really, really good reason – and I very much doubt that we would do that as an episode. Maybe as a graphic novel or some sort of commemorative biscuit; but we wouldn’t want to pick that apart and tinker with it, as we’d like to leave Kelly and Yorkie where they are.”

Is there a trailer for Black Mirror season 5 yet?

Not yet. If season four is anything to go by, the trailers for the fifth season will drop just before the show is released on Netflix.