Ryan Coogler Developing an “X-Files” Reboot

In what could be a delicious addition to his flourishing career, Ryan Coogler is developing a new version of The X-Files. 

Original X-Files creator Chris Carter revealed the news during an interview with On The Coast with Gloria Macarenko while celebrating the 30th anniversary of the iconic sci-fi series. Here was what Carter said when he dropped the huge news: “I just spoke to a young man, Ryan Coogler, who is going to remount The X-Files with a diverse cast. So he’s got his work cut out for him because we covered so much territory.”

The original X-Files was a landmark sci-fi series, airing from 1993 to 2001, where it made leads David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson stars. (The show was revived for two seasons in 2016 and 2018.) The series followed the work of Fox Mulder (Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Anderson), a believer and a skeptic, respectively, as they investigated unexplained and often terrifying phenomena while shadowy forces moved against them.

There’s very little known about the details of the plan, but there’s speculation that a Coogler-led X-Files could land on Hulu. The original series came from 20th Television and aired on Fox, but now that 20th TV and Fox aren’t part of the same company after Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox, revivals of Fox shows (like Futurama) have streamed on Hulu.

Coogler has a five-year overall deal with Walt Disney Television, which 20th TV is now a part of, and that’s how he’d likely develop his X-Files series. He’s already delivered two massive blockbusters with 2018’s Black Panther and last year’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and it would be thrilling to see what he’d do with material as rich and varied as The X-Files. 

For more on Coogler’s latest film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, check out these stories:

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” Composer Ludwig Göransson on the Score’s Secret Weapon

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” Hair Department Head Camille Friend on The Sequel’s Stunning Looks

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” Production Designer Hannah Beachler Reveals Her Guide to Talokan

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: Ryan Coogler attends the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Arnold Turner/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

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The Credits

The Credits is an online magazine that tells the story behind the story to celebrate our large and diverse creative community. Focusing on profiles of below-the-line filmmakers, The Credits celebrates the often uncelebrated individuals who are indispensable to the films and TV shows we love.