The truth is still out there.
Ryan Coogler’s “X-Files” pilot has been picked up to series at Hulu, the streamer announced on Tuesday. The reimagined series stars Danielle Deadwyler and Himesh Patel as 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 wrote, directed and executive produced the pilot — which was also shot by his Oscar-winning “Sinners” cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw — and will serve as executive producer along with showrunner and executive producer Jennifer Yale.
Executive producers also include Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian (Proximity Media) and Chris Carter. Co-executive producers are Simone Harris (Proximity Media), Deadwyler and Patel.
The original series, created by Chris Carter, ran on Fox from 1993 to 2002 (with two more seasons coming in 2016 and 2018) and starred David Duchovny, as an FBI agent driven by the supposed alien abduction of his sister, and Gillian Anderson, as the hardened skeptic. The series inspired two theatrical feature films – 1998’s “Fight the Future” and 2008’s “I Want to Believe” (which was recently re-cut by Carter and is available on Hulu), countless copycat series (remember “Dark Skies?”) and tons of collectible merchandise including, most recently, an elaborate LEGO set.
“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,” Ryan Coogler said in a statement. “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.”
“We’re looking forward to continuing this journey as executive producers and especially excited to work closely with Jennifer Yale, Simone Harris, and the entire cast and crew as we bring this new chapter of ‘The X-Files’ to life. It was also incredibly special to have our fellow Proximity co-founder Ludwig Göransson contribute the score for the pilot, making this a true collaboration across the Proximity family,” Zinzi Coogler, Ohanian and Ryan Coogler, founders of Proximity Media, said in a statement.
We await further details about both plot specifics (will Deadwyler and Patel follow the same believer/skeptic template, or will their dynamic be different?) and potential streaming dates (we’re guessing fall 2027, in time for spooky season). Perhaps the biggest lingering question is whether the synopsis’ phrasing, which implies that the series takes place after the original show, leaves room for original cast members like Duchovny, Anderson and Mitch Pileggi to return.
Trust no one.
