Ryan Coogler has confirmed that his reboot of The X-Files is next on his slate following the release of Sinners. In a recent appearance on Last Podcast on the Left, the director said development is underway and that he has already spoken with original cast member Gillian Anderson.
“She’s incredible. Fingers crossed there,” Coogler said, noting that Anderson was finishing work on Tron: Ares the last time they spoke. “We’re going to try to make something really great, bro, and make something for the real X-Files fans and maybe find some new ones.”
News of Coogler’s involvement first surfaced in 2023. Chris Carter, who created the original series, said at the time that the two had been discussing a reboot and that Coogler’s approach would include a diverse cast. The project is being developed under Coogler’s overall television deal with Disney and produced through his company, Proximity Media.
The X-Files originally aired on Fox from 1993 to 2001, followed by feature films in 1998 and 2008. The show returned for additional seasons in 2016 and 2018. Anderson and David Duchovny starred as FBI agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder, assigned to investigate unexplained cases involving paranormal and extraterrestrial phenomena.
Anderson has spoken publicly about Coogler’s plans and her openness to being involved. “I cannot think of a better way around for a reboot to happen,” she said. “Whether I am involved in it is a whole other thing. I’m not saying no. I think he’s really cool and I think if he did it, it would probably be done incredibly well. And maybe I’ll pop in for a little something something.”
During the podcast, Coogler emphasized his enthusiasm for the material. “I’ve been excited about that for a long time, and I’m fired up to get back to it,” he said. “Some of those episodes, if we do our jobs right, will be really f—ing scary.”
Carter, in a separate interview, reflected on the scope of the original series and how much ground it covered. He said updating the premise in today’s media environment would look different because public engagement with conspiracy theories has changed. “We’re steeped in conspiracies,” Carter said.
The original run of the show helped define a format for paranormal investigation dramas and developed a large following through its blend of procedural storytelling and serialized mythology. The revival seasons brought back several characters and introduced new threads, though the tone and format largely remained consistent with the original episodes.