‘Black Mirror’ Releases Trailer For ‘Star Trek’ Satire Episode “USS Callister”

Netflix has released the trailer for the upcoming Star Trek-inspired episode of Black Mirror, “USS Callister.”

The episode stars Jesse Plemons and Cristin Melioti, both former Fargo stars, with Jimmi Simpson of Westworld and Chewing Gum‘s Michaela Coel.

Based on the trailer, the episode appears to be a hard satire of Star Trek: The Original Series, with Plemons playing the Captain Kirk character and Melioti as an exasperated officer on board the ship.

“USS Callister” is directed by Doctor Who and Sherlock alum Toby Haynes and co-written by William Bridges. Netflix released key art for episode yesterday.

This will be the first time that Black Mirror has ventured into outer space. Brooker compares the episode to a previous popular Black Mirror entry, “San Junipero,” due to how visually distinct it is from other episodes.

The fleet uniforms peg the episode as an homage to Star Trek, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, Brooker says the story is more a morality play about “tyranny and abuse of power.”

Producer Annabel Jones revealed some more details about “USS Callister” in an interview with The Independent.

“‘USS Callister’ is a space opera,” Jones says. “The challenges of trying to create that world, and obviously getting to play with the genre, opened a whole new opportunity. But I think we’ve put a clever spin on it. It’s a romp – it’s big and ambitious with lots of CG. It’s an absolute visual feast and really high octane. There are obviously more unsettling, poignant and slightly more melancholic moments, but at the same time, it is a romp. It’s such a treat for a filmmaker to be making a film this epic.”

According to Netflix, “Black Mirror is an anthology series that taps into our collective unease with the modern world, with each stand-alone episode a sharp, suspenseful tale exploring themes of contemporary techno-paranoia. Without questioning it, technology has transformed all aspects of our lives; in every home; on every desk; in every palm – a plasma screen; a monitor; a Smartphone – a Black Mirror reflecting our 21st Century existence back at us.”

Black Mirror Season Four arrives on Netflix in 2018.