(Left) Director Ryan Cooler at the New York Premiere of ‘Sinners’. Photo: Warner Bros. (Center) David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in ‘The X-Files’. Photo: 20th Century Fox Television. (Right) Danielle Deadwyler in ‘Parallel.’ Photo: Vertical Entertainment.
Preview:
- Danielle Deadwyler will star in the new ‘X-Files’ series.
- Ryan Coogler is writing the pilot and will direct it.
- Jennifer Yale will be showrunner.
We’ve known for a while that ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Sinners’ director Ryan Coogler has been developing a rebooted take on cult supernatural show ‘The X-Files’ for Hulu. The show has now taken a step forward with a pilot order.
“The truth is out there.”
And in other news, the series –– or at least its pilot –– now has one lead in place as ‘The Harder They Fall’s Danielle Deadwyler will star.
Related Article: Danielle Deadwyler and Jalyn Hall Talk Biographical Drama ‘Till’
What’s the story of ‘The X-Files’?
(L to R) David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in 1998’s ‘The X-Files’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
‘The X-Files’, originally created by Chris Carter, aired on Fox from 1993-2001 before being revived at the network for two more seasons in 2016 and 2018. It starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, who investigate cases that lean towards the paranormal and otherwise unusual.
Two movies were made based on the original show, but there’s no word yet on whether either Duchovny or Anderson will appear in any capacity. As for the new potential series’ logline? “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.”
We don’t yet know exactly how Deadwyler’s character will fit in, but we can assume she’s one of the agents.
Ryan Coogler on his connection to ‘The X-Files’
(L to R) Li Jun Li, Ryan Coogler, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Gransson accept the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement Award for ‘Sinners’ onstage during the 83rd Annual Golden Globes®, airing live from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday, January 11, 2026 at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT, on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Photo: Kevork Djansezian/CBS ©2026 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Coogler, an avowed fan of the supernatural, has spoken previously to Variety about his feelings for the show:
“Like my relationship with ‘Rocky’ with my dad, ‘The X-Files’ is one of those things with my mom. My mom means the world to me…so this is a big one for me. I want to do right by her and the fans. My mom has read some of the stuff I wrote for it. She’s fired up.”
Coogler is aboard to write and direct the pilot, but should the show go to series, ‘The Copenhagen Test’s Jennifer Yale will be overseeing it.
Where else can we see Danielle Deadwyler?
Danielle Deadwyler in ’40 Acres’, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
Deadwyler was most recently seen in movies ‘The Woman in the Yard’ and ‘Carry-On’, and cropped up in an episode of ‘The Bear’.
Upcoming on the small screen, she’ll appear in the new season of ‘Euphoria’ and Steve Carell series ‘Rooster’. Movie-wise, she’s attached to drama ‘The Street’ and has worked on crime comedy ‘The Chaperones’.
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ director Ryan Coogler.
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