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Ryan Coogler’s reboot of The X-Files has received the official green light with Danielle Deadwyler set as the first co-lead.
The film-maker behind Black Panther and Sinners has long talked about his love for the hit paranormal drama series and how he wants to make some new episodes that are “really fucking scary”.
The show has now been set at Hulu with Coogler writing and directing the pilot.
The official description for the reboot reads: “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.”
Deadwyler, whose credits include films such as Till, Carry-On and The Piano Lesson, will play one of the leads with the other actor to be confirmed. On the small screen, she has also starred in Station Eleven and will be seen in the next season of Euphoria.
Appearances by original stars have not yet been revealed but Coogler has confirmed that he has spoken to Gillian Anderson. “She’s incredible and fingers crossed there,” he said. “We’re going to try to make something really great, bro, and make something for the real X-Files fans and maybe find some new ones.”
In an interview last year, Anderson also said of Coogler’s attachment to the show: “I spoke to him, and what I said was, ‘If anyone were to do it, I think you are the perfect person and best of luck, call me.’ At some point, if the phone rings and it’s good and it feels like the right time – perhaps.”
The show’s original showrunner, Chris Carter, will also be an executive producer.
The X-Files started in 1993 and ran for nine seasons until 2002 before it was revived in 2016 for two more seasons. At its height it was watched by 27 million people in the US. There were also two big-screen movies.
Over the weekend, Coogler became the first Black winner of the Bafta for best original screenplay for his vampire thriller Sinners, which is also up for a record 16 Oscars at next month’s ceremony.
