The Hollywood Reporter (via SFFGazette.com) has revealed that Hulu is moving forward with its reboot of The X-Files. Black Panther and Sinners filmmaker Ryan Coogler is confirmed to write and direct the pilot, which has been officially greenlit.
We've long known that this is a passion project for Coogler, and he'll helm the show's first episode before starting work on Black Panther 3 (which we've previously heard will be released in early 2028).
Danielle Deadwyler (The Woman in the Yard, The Piano Lesson) has landed "one of the two coveted starring roles in the series." While we don't have official character details, a new logline has been released, offering a better idea of what to expect.
"Two highly decorated but vastly different FBI agents form an unlikely bond when they are assigned to a long-shuttered division devoted to cases involving unexplained phenomena," it teases.
In the original version of The X-Files, Agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and Agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) were paired up in the FBI's paranormal division, with the former assigned to debunk Mulder's steadfast belief in extraterrestrial threats to Earth. It appears this will serve as a loose sequel, leaving the door open to cameos and connective tissue.
Chris Carter, who was a showrunner on The X-Files when it first launched in 1993, will serve as a non-writing executive producer on Coogler's reboot. Sev Ohanian and Zinzi Coogler, his partners at their Proximity Media banner, are taking on the same role.
"There are times when I wish that I could separate and have a day where I'm not anxious about having to deliver the draft," Coogler previously said about his approach to The X-Files, "Vince [Gilligan] gave me a couple hours of advice over Zoom and answered all the questions I had – I've got them all in my notebook, and I go back to it often."
"I've been excited about that for a long time, and I'm fired up to get back to it," he added. "You know, some of those episodes, if we do our jobs right, will be really f***ing scary." Addressing his desire to "make something really great," Coogler noted that he wanted to make "something for the real 'X-Files' fans" that would also "maybe find some new ones."
Carter has said, "They don't need my blessing. 20th Century Fox and Disney own the show. They are free to do with it what they believe. I'm honored that they came to me and asked me not for my permission but my blessing. I'm not supposed to be talking about it, according to Disney. I've had a conversation with [Coogler]. Yes, he likes to go with a diverse cast. And he's got some good ideas."
Hopefully, we'll find out who the other co-lead in The X-Files will be soon. For now, keep checking back here for updates as we have them.