While the ’90s produced many television shows now considered pivotal, few were as influential or as enduring as The X-Files. Created by Chris Carter, the series starred David Duchovny as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder and Gillian Anderson as Dr. Dana Scully, a skeptic assigned to debunk his work on the bureau’s so-called “X-Files,” cases involving unexplained and often paranormal phenomena.
What began as a moody sci-fi procedural quickly evolved into a cultural phenomenon. Blending government conspiracy, alien mythology, standalone monster-of-the-week episodes, and razor-sharp character work, the series helped redefine genre television, proving that ambitious serialized storytelling could thrive on primetime.
Over its original nine-season run from 1993 to 2002, The X-Files spawned two feature films and a revival in 2016. And now, under the watchful eye of filmmaker Ryan Coogler, the series was finally ordered to pilot after a three-year journey to get the reboot to the small screen. As the pilot revs up, casting for the project moves forward with Himesh Patel and Danielle Deadwyler set for the reboot.
Here is everything we know about the upcoming The X-Files reboot, including what it will be about, who will star, and what to expect.
When will The X-Files reboot premiere?
Ryan Coogler‘s long-awaited The X-Files reboot has just received a pilot greenlight at Hulu. While a specific release date has not been announced, the project is in active development. Please check back here for updates.
Who will star in The X-Files reboot?
Danielle Deadwyler is set to co-lead the project, portraying one of two highly decorated yet markedly different FBI agents. Deadline broke the news in February 2026.
On March 26, it was announced that Himesh Patel was cast opposite Deadwyler as one of the two FBI agents assigned to the once-folded division of the bureau.
While no additional casting has been announced, Coogler has reportedly set his sights high when it comes to rounding out the ensemble. On TheLast Podcast on the Left, the director stated that he had “spoken to the great Gillian Anderson” about the series. “She’s incredible. Fingers crossed there,” said Coogler.
What is The X-Files reboot about?
The official logline describes the reboot as follows: “Two highly decorated but vastly different FBI agents (Deadwyler, Patel) form an unlikely bond when they are assigned to a long-shuttered division devoted to cases involving unexplained phenomena.”
Debuting on Fox in 1993, the original The X-Files introduced audiences to FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully (Duchovny and Anderson), who were assigned to investigate the bureau’s strangest unsolved cases. Created by Chris Carter, the series blended science fiction, horror, and conspiracy thriller elements as Mulder chased the truth about extraterrestrials and hidden government agendas, while Scully applied scientific skepticism to each increasingly bizarre case.
Fox Network. All rights reserved. / Courtesy Everett Collection
The show ran for nine seasons, became a cultural phenomenon, and expanded beyond television with two theatrical films, 1998’s The X-Files and 2008’s The X-Files: I Want to Believe. More than a decade later, the franchise returned to Fox with a revival that ran for two additional seasons beginning in 2016.
Carter will be involved in the new series, but the extent is unknown at this time. “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,” Carter said on the CBC podcast On the Coast with Gloria Macarenko back in 2023.
Who is behind The X-Files reboot?
According to Deadline, Coogler will write and direct the pilot for the new X-Files.
The publication also stated that Jennifer Yale will executive produce alongside original The X-Files creator Carter, as well as Coogler, Sev Ohanian, and Zinzi Coogler of Proximity Media. The company’s Simone Harris is a co-executive producer. The pilot is being cast by Sinners casting director Francine Maisler.
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