Ryan Coogler’s ‘X-Files’ reboot gets Hulu series order with promising lead cast
Ryan Coogler, known for spearheading 'Sinners', is rebooting an iconic Fox series. Hulu has officially given a series order to his 'The X-Files' reboot. Danielle Deadwyler ('Rooster,' 'The Harder They Fall') and Himesh Patel ('The Odyssey') will star as two FBI agents searching for the truth, much like Special Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) from the original series. Though no release date has been revealed, a logline offers a glimpse into the story. According to the synopsis, the show follows “two highly decorated but vastly different FBI agents who form an unlikely bond when they are assigned to a long-shuttered division devoted to cases involving unexplained phenomena.”
Coogler has been developing the project for years. He wrote and directed a pilot, following which the streaming service ordered a series. The 'Sinners' director will remain associated with the project as an EP. Jennifer Yale ('Underground,' 'See') will take over as the showrunner. Coogler’s Proximity Media will produce the series, alongside Onyx Collective and 20th Television. The original series aired from 1993-2002. Duchovny and Anderson played the main characters for the first seven seasons. Later, new characters entered the picture. The series spawned two movies that also starred Duchovny and Anderson as leads. Both actors also returned for a revival in 2016. Chris Carter was the mastermind behind the original series.
Coogler wanted to respect the original's legacy while bringing something new to the table. “I’ve loved The X-Files for a long time, so getting the chance to write and direct the pilot has meant a great deal to me,” said Coogler. “What Chris Carter created is special, and we wanted to honor everything that made the original series connect with so many people while also finding our own way into that world. Danielle and Himesh, along with the rest of our cast, have brought such original perspectives and performances to these characters, and watching that come together has been one of the most rewarding parts of the experience. I couldn’t have asked for better collaborators than my crew, colleagues at Proximity Media and our partners at Onyx Collective and 20th Television. I’m grateful for the trust and support they’ve given us as we take on this new chapter.”
Carter will be part of the reboot as an EP alongside Coogler, Yale, and Proximity Media’s Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian. Carter talked about the reboot in 2023 while on 'On The Coast with Gloria Macarenko.' According to Variety, he said, “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 reboot's lead actors and Proximity’s Simone Harris are billed as co-EPs.
