The cult classic sci-fi drama “The X-Files” is poised for a “diverse” reboot, with “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler helming the show’s remake, according to an interview with the show’s original creator.
The show’s creator, Chris Carter, told CBC’s “On The Coast Radio Show” that he had a conversation with the Creed director, saying, “I just spoke to a young man, Ryan Coogler, who is going to remount The X-Files with a diverse cast.”
The show, which debuted in 1993, was one of the longest running sci-fi series in network television history, with its first run lasting until 2002, and additional seasons released in 2016 and 2018. It also spawned two movies and two spin-off shows.
The potential reboot for this decade will likely be quite different from the original, according to Carter, who said, “We’re so steeped in conspiracies now. You know The X-Files dealt with a central conspiracy but now the world is so full of conspiracies that I think that it would be a different show.”
In the interview Carter spoke on the cultural impact his show, saying, “We were serialized before people did serialized television so I think that most of the shows you see now are serialized so maybe we were on to something.” The show’s iconic theme song, which Carter said was inspired by The Smiths, premiered at number two on the United Kingdom’s charts.
Coogler previously directed both “Black Panther” films, “Creed” and “Fruitvale Station.” He is also credited as a producer on films such as “Space Jam: New Legacy” and “Judas and the Black Messiah,” which earned him an Oscar nomination in 2021.
Coogler’s apparent upcoming project is the latest installment in a Hollywood trend of rebooting popular shows and films from the past and retooling them with racially diverse casts. The most recent example is HBO Max’s “Velma,” which casts Mindy Kaling as a gay Indian version of Velma from the popular Scooby Doo cartoons. The show premiered to low ratings, earning a whopping 7% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite widespread criticism, HBO Max renewed the show for a second season.
CBC reached out to Coogler and the The X Files’ original studio 20th Century Fox but neither side has confirmed the reboot, according to On The Coast host Gloria Macarenko.