NEW NETFLIX HOOK: Charlie Brooker is stepping out of Black Mirror and into a gripping detective drama 🔎🔥

With Paddy Considine, Georgina Campbell, and Lena Headey leading the cast, this brand-new series promises mind-bending twists, chilling crimes, and the dark satire only Brooker can deliver. Fans are already bracing for their next obsession. 👀🍿

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Filming has begun in Manchester, United Kingdom, on a new series titled Project Codename, from the creator of Black Mirror, which is being described as “profoundly serious.”

Charlie Brooker has confirmed a very secretive new four-part detective thriller show at Netflix that he’s producing alongside long-time collaborators Jessica Rhoades and Annabel Jones, alongside producer Richard Webb, with Al Campbell (Newswipe, Code404, Inside No. 9) directing. Filming has commenced in Manchester, and we’ve got exclusive details and first looks from behind the scenes. 

As it stands, the project doesn’t yet have an official title, with Netflix referring to it as Untitled Charlie Brooker Project, but that’s not the codename the project is filming under. We know Charlie Brooker loves his codenames. For Black Mirror, filming was always done in the utmost secrecy, with prior seasons having filmed under codenames like Haven Green (or Green Haven) and Redwood. Our understanding is that a full reveal of the title will be out soon, although for now, it’s simply referred to as Project Codename, Operation Codename, and we’ve even seen it referred to as Blackmere.

Details on the meat of the story remain pretty slim, but here’s the official synopsis courtesy of Netflix: “UNTITLED CHARLIE BROOKER PROJECT (working title) is a profoundly serious, stunningly original crime thriller in which a tormented detective from the Northern city of Bleakford ventures down to London on a mission to catch a ritualistic serial killer before they run out of people to kill. Contains blood and frowning.”

Our understanding is that the series follows a hardened Northern detective, called Blackmere, who takes a young and inexperienced constable called Gwyneth Bairby under his wing during a grisly murder investigation. Alongside the case, the story weaves in a personal subplot involving Megan, a fiery history student with a fractured family past.

Charlie Brooker is the lead writer on the project with Ben Caudell, Jason Hazeley, Emer Kenny, Daniel Maier, and Joel Morris. Additional material by Victoria Asare Archer. Charlie Brooker, Jessica Rhoades, and Annabel Jones are executive producers. Mark Kinsella serves as a co-executive producer.

Upon the announcement, Charlie Brooker, in a characteristically sarcastic and vague statement, said, “I’m beyond thrilled to be saying these words for the press release. I’ve dreamt of providing a quote ever since I was a young foetus, and now here I am doing it. I’d pinch myself, but like all of us, I’m terrified that if I do that, I might wake up and discover 2025 has all been a magical dream. Please watch my show. I am begging you.”

Who’s starring in Project Codename?

Paddy Considine, recently acclaimed for his role as King Viserys in HBO’s House of the Dragon and soon to be seen in Mob Land, will lead the cast. Considine has also featured in the Netflix Original crime drama Peaky Blinders. Our understanding is that he’s playing the role of Blackmere in the series.

Joining him is Georgina Campbell, who broke out in the horror hit Barbarian and will next appear in Ishana Night Shyamalan’s Watchers. Campbell is no stranger to Netflix audiences, having starred in the Black Mirror episode “Hang the DJ,” one of the series’ most celebrated installments.

Also starring is Lena Headey, best known worldwide as Cersei Lannister in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Headey has a long history with Netflix, having voiced characters in the animated series Masters of the Universe: Revelation and Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia, and she is set to headline Netflix’s upcoming Western drama The Abandons.

We can also report that Tomi May (Talamasca, Andor season 2) will appear in the role of Grosky. Aaron Wolstenholme will appear in a guest star role.

First Look Behind The Scenes on Project Codename

The series has already been filming for over a week at the time of publishing. Below are additional photos captured late last week and yesterday by Mark Campbell of MCPIX, showing production in Manchester’s Northern Quarter and in Timperley, including scenes shot on September 8th at Bowdon RUFC.

PIX BY MARK CAMPBELL/MCPIX

PIX BY MARK CAMPBELL/MCPIX

PIX BY MARK CAMPBELL/MCPIX

PIX BY MARK CAMPBELL/MCPIX

PIX BY MARK CAMPBELL/MCPIX

PIX BY MARK CAMPBELL/MCPIX

PIX BY MARK CAMPBELL/MCPIX

PIX BY MARK CAMPBELL/MCPIX

Are you excited for this new Netflix series? Let us know in the comments down below.