Disney is said to be working with The- X-Files creator Chris Carter and Black Panther director Ryan Coogler for a reboot of the paranormal sci-fi series.
Carter confirmed Coogler’s role in the reboot series during an interview on On the Coast with Gloria Macarenko in March. He said Coogler is developing a new take on the classic X-Files story and will introduce a more diverse cast than its predecessor. Little else is known about the new series since, however, Bloomberg said this project is still in the works along with a host of other revivals.
“I just spoke to a young man… Ryan Coogler… who is going to remount The X-Files with a diverse cast,” said Carter. “So he’s got his work cut out for him because we covered so much territory.”
The X-Files revival follows a trend many streaming and cable TV networks have leaned into hard in recent years. This year, Futurama and Fraiser saw reboots, while a King of the Hill revival and Peaky Blinders are in production. Long-lived franchises like The Avengers and Scream continue to see fresh films filling theater seats.
The X-Files debuted in 1993, following master of the monotone monologues Fox Mulder and forensic pathologist Dana Scully investigate paranormal cases. The series concluded in 2022 after nine seasons. The series saw a revival in 2016 for a six-episode 10th season, and a final ten-episode 11th season in 2018.
The franchise saw two films, The X-Files and The X-Files: I Want to Believe, as well as the spinoff series Millennium and The Lone Gunmen.
An animated comedy series called The X-Files: Albuquerque was essentially the X-File’s B Team, taking cases “too wacky, ridiculous, or downright dopey for Mulder and Scully to bother with.” Although the project was given a script commitment, and signed Rocky Russo and Jeremy Sosenko as writers and executive producers, it has yet to begin production and may be scrapped entirely.
This new X-Files series is said to be something completely different, but there are few known details at this point. A plot has not been released nor have potential cast members. It could even be the animated series that has gone the way of Mulder’s sister since its pitch in 2020.
Coogler has been nominated for two Academy Awards and directed Creed and both Black Panther films. Having already made his mark on other franchise favorites, he’s a great choice for the relaunch of The X-Files.
The X-Files is available to stream on Hulu and Amazon Freevee.