New Update on ‘X-Files’ Reboot From Ryan Coogler

Will Ryan Coogler’s reboot of the X-Files please longtime fans? We all want to believe.

In a new interview with Josh Horowitz on his Happy Sad Confused podcast, Coogler detailed his love for the series and shared some light details on the upcoming revival.

For those out of the loop, Coogler has been one of Hollywood’s hottest directors for over a decade now. He began his career with the critically acclaimed drama Fruitvale Station in 2013, before starting the Creed and Black Panther franchises in 2015 and 2018 respectfully. Last year, he produced, wrote and directed the horror epic Sinners, which was a box-office smash and is a heavy favorite to win big at this year’s Academy Awards.

In the interview, he told Horowitz that a big reason he chose to reboot the series was his own nostalgia.

“That show is what I used to watch with my mom,” Coogler said. “It’s one of the most beautiful American television shows ever made. [Series creator] Chris Carter will tell you, he was trying to make Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and for me that’s what it’s all about: When you as an artist [are] trying to capture something that you were influenced by and make something totally new.”

Coogler pointed out how TV can change the career trajectory of people involved in the series, referencing Vince Gilligan getting his start as a writer on The X-Files before going on to make Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and Pluribus.

For fans worried that this iteration of X-Files will be extremely different, however, worry not.

“We intend on having both monsters of the week and also the overarching conspiracy,” he said, while noting he received “advice about how to make television” from Gilligan himself.

While Coogler couldn’t confirm that any cast members of the original will return, he did leave Horowitz off with a teaser.

“I’m a big fan of [Gillian Anderson], big fan of David [Duchovny]. That’s all I can say,” he said.

Watch the interview below.