Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror may be about to return after a three year hiatus, with reports that a "cinematic" sixth season is in the works at Netflix.

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Variety first reported that a new season is "shaping up" and that casting is already underway, with the new run set to feature more episodes than the fifth season, which contained only five.

The new season will reportedly be even more cinematic than previous outings of the dystopian anthology, with each episode being treated as an individual film.

Black Mirror started life on Channel 4 in 2011, before moving to Netflix for its third season in 2016. It has so far featured 22 regular episodes and one interactive, choose-your-own-adventure film, Bandersnatch, all of which have explored the dark side of technology and the effect it can have on its users and their own social interactions.

Jesse Plemons in USS Callister
Jesse Plemons in Black Mirror Netflix

Previous stars of the series have included Jesse Plemons, Hayley Atwell, Jon Hamm, Daniel Kaluuya, Miley Cyrus and many more.

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The series' creator, Brooker, previously told Radio Times magazine he didn't know "what stomach there would be for stories about societies falling apart", so explained that he wasn't currently working on a new season. At the time Brooker said he was "sort of keen to revisit my comic skill set, so I’ve been writing scripts aimed at making myself laugh”.

However, that was in May 2020, at the height on the Coronavirus pandemic, so it may be that Brooker has changed his mind about viewers' appetite for hugely popular anthology.

The reported upcoming sixth season would be the first since Brooker and his creative partner Annabel Jones left their production company House of Tomorrow and founded a new company, Broke and Bones.

As the rights to Black Mirror had remained with House of Tomorrow's parent company, Endemol Shine Group, there had been fears the arrangement would mean the end of Black Mirror for good. Variety reports that a deal must have been reached to allow for a new season.

When approached by RadioTimes.com Netflix declined to comment.

Black Mirror seasons 1-5 and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch are available to stream on Netflix. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.

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