Snippets of Black Mirror information have been sprinkled all over the Internet in the last few weeks, to the point where fans have speculated that creators Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones don't want to make an actual announcement. They've succeeded in revving up excitement around the franchise's upcoming release, in addition to prompting fans to follow the breadcrumbs they're intentionally scattering.
According to Esquire, Netflix already has a designated page titled Bandersnatch, which means that any of the streaming service's subscribers can type in the title and be directed to the page. Once on this page, it's clear that the title is referring to a film rather than a series, and according to the leak in December, it's slated to be released on Dec. 28. The film will have a runtime of five hours and will be in a choose-your-own-adventure format, which should add a level of interaction for viewers to engage with the prerecorded content.
In the latest leak, certain information regarding the film's cast and plot were released. This bit of intel confirms that the fifth installment of the series is not expected to be released until 2019, however, the film will continue into their scheduled premiere of Dec. 28.
Like a lot of entertainment news, the leak started on Reddit, where a user posted a screenshot of the Korean Media Rating Board. According to the Reddit user's translation, the show will be about "A young programmer makes a fantasy novel into a game. Soon, reality and virtual world are mixed and start to create confusion." In terms of the cast, Fionn Whitehead of Dunkirk is slated to perform, and David Slade of Breaking Bad and American Gods will be directing.
An image surfaced on the Black Mirror Reddit page which shows Fionn, alongside Will Poulter and Asim Chaudhry, all huddled around a single computer screen. Given the video game plotline, it appears as though the Bandersnatch mention in the title is about the 1984 title of the same name, which was never released. The Netflix title card confirms that the film is set in the '80s which reinforces the possibility of the Bandersnatch reference.
