Netflix definitely wants to continue and/or replicate the success that it has had with ‘Black Mirror’, and has made a significant investment in the Broke and Bones production company, founded by ‘Black Mirror’ creator, executive producer, and showrunner Charlie Brooker and collaborator/producer/co-showrunner Annabel Jones. The duo abandoned their old company, House of Tomorrow, which was set up at Endemol Shine, who produced ‘Black Mirror’, after Endemol Shine was bought out by the Banijay Group.
As part of the deal, Netflix has exclusive rights to all projects that Broke and Bones creates for an undisclosed number of years, and after that period, has the option to eventually assume complete control. This is the first such deal that Netflix has made in the United Kingdom. It was not revealed how much money was involved.
Netflix shared ‘Black Mirror’ with the UK’s Channel 4, before assuming full control of the series in 2011 and has released three subsequent seasons, and the interactive movie ‘Bandersnatch’. While ‘Black Mirror’ may not be the most-watched show on Netflix, it brings the streaming service a lot of prestige, having won eight Emmy Awards for the episodes “San Junipero,” and “USS Callister,” and ‘Bandersnatch’, as well as additional awards and nominations for various installments. This year, Andrew Scott (‘Fleabag’) is nominated for the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Emmy, for his role in “Smithereens.”
Endemol Shine retains the rights to ‘Black Mirror’, so it’s likely that we’ve seen all that we’re going to of that series, unless ES finds someone else to run it, or a deal can be struck with Brooker and Jones, which seems unlikely. In May, Brooker stated that he wasn’t interested in writing more ‘Black Mirror’ during this time of global crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, he expressed a desire to develop more comedic projects.
Recently, Sophie Turner Laing, who ran the reality shows ‘Master Chef’ and ‘Big Brother’ for ES, and ES’ CEO of international operations, Nicola Bamford, and Wim Ponnet, its chief strategy, and commercial officer have also left the company.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
