‘The X-Files’ Is Coming Back With Ryan Coogler
After years of talk and quiet development, Ryan Coogler’s long-awaited reboot of The X-Files is officially moving forward. According to Deadline, the project has received a pilot greenlight at Hulu….
After years of talk and quiet development, Ryan Coogler’s long-awaited reboot of The X-Files is officially moving forward. According to Deadline, the project has received a pilot greenlight at Hulu. That means the streaming service is ready to see the first episode come to life.
Danielle Deadwyler, known for The Piano Lesson, is set to co-lead the series. The show comes from Onyx Collective and 20th Television, and Jennifer Yale, whose credits include The Copenhagen Test, has joined as showrunner.
A New Pair of Agents
Coogler, best known for directing Sinners and Black Panther, is writing and directing the pilot. According to Deadline, the story will follow two highly decorated but very different FBI agents. One of them will be played by Deadwyler. When they are assigned to reopen a long-shuttered division that investigates unexplained phenomena, they form an unlikely bond.
Like the original series, the focus will be strange cases and paranormal mysteries. But this time, the team behind the show promises a new perspective.
Yale will executive produce alongside original The X-Files creator Chris Carter. Coogler, Sev Ohanian, and Zinzi Coogler of Proximity Media are also executive producers, with Simone Harris serving as co-executive producer. Casting for the pilot is being handled by Francine Maisler, who also worked on Sinners.
A Three-Year Journey
This reboot has been in the works for about three years. It is part of Coogler’s five-year exclusive television deal with Disney, which owns Hulu, 20th Television, and Onyx.
Back in 2023, Carter shared that he had spoken with Coogler, who was “going to remount The X-Files with a diverse cast,” adding, “He’s got his work cut out for him because we covered so much territory.”
Coogler later confirmed the project himself during an appearance last April.
“I’ve been excited about that for a long time, and I’m fired up to get back to it. Some of those episodes, if we do our jobs right, will be really f---ing scary,” he said, adding, “We’re gonna try to make something really great and really be something for the real X-Files fans, and maybe find some new ones.”
Balancing Big Projects
The reboot took time to gain momentum because Coogler was busy with other major projects. His film Sinners became an Oscar frontrunner with 16 nominations. He has also been involved with Disney+’s Ironheart.
Coogler has said he spoke with original The X-Files star Gillian Anderson about the reboot. Anderson famously played FBI Special Agent Dana Scully alongside David Duchovny’s Fox Mulder when the series first premiered in 1993 on Fox.
The original show ran for nine seasons and became a pop culture hit. It also led to two feature films, The X-Files in 1998 and The X-Files: I Want to Believe in 2008. A revival aired in 2016 for two more seasons.
Hulu’s Pilot Strategy
Hulu has recently focused on developing pilots first, even for big titles. Its Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot is also moving forward with a pilot directed by Chloé Zhao.
Now, with Coogler making The X-Files a priority after finishing Sinners, the project has picked up speed. With a new creative team and a fresh cast, the next chapter of spooky investigations is getting closer to reality.
The truth is still out there. Soon, it may be streaming.
