Ryan Coogler's X-Files Reboot Moves Forward with Pilot Order
The highly anticipated revival of the iconic sci-fi mystery series The X-Files has taken a significant step forward. Acclaimed filmmaker Ryan Coogler, fresh from directing one of 2025's most celebrated films, has secured a pilot greenlight from streaming service Hulu for the project.
New Cast and Creative Team Announced
Coogler will write and direct the first episode of the reboot, which will star Danielle Deadwyler as an FBI agent investigating unexplained phenomena. According to a synopsis from Deadline, the series will follow "two highly decorated but vastly different FBI agents — one played by Deadwyler — [who] form an unlikely bond when they are assigned to a long-shuttered division devoted to cases involving unexplained phenomena."
Jennifer Yale, known for her work on The Copenhagen Test, has been brought on board as showrunner for the series. Deadwyler's co-star has yet to be confirmed, but the actress has a busy year ahead with appearances in the HBO comedy series Rooster alongside Steve Carell and the third season of Euphoria.
Living Up to a Legendary Legacy
The original X-Files series, which aired from 1993 to 2002 over nine seasons and returned for two additional seasons in 2016 and 2018, is widely regarded as one of the greatest television shows of all time. Starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, the series has maintained a passionate fanbase for decades.
Radio Times famously called the first episode "the greatest pilot in TV history," while fans continue to praise the series on social media platforms. One Redditor declared it "never to be dethroned," while an X user described it as "literally the best show ever made, so beautifully shot and a killer soundtrack!"
Coogler's Impressive Credentials
Director Ryan Coogler brings substantial credentials to the daunting task of reviving such a beloved franchise. His latest film, Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan as twin gangsters encountering a vampire cult in 1930s Mississippi, was named the best film of 2025 by the African American Film Critics Association.
The Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus praised the film as "a rip-roaring fusion of masterful visual storytelling and toe-tapping music" that reveals "the full scope of his singular imagination." Coogler also won the BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay for his work on the project.
What Fans Can Expect
In a recent appearance on the Last Podcast on the Left, Coogler teased his approach to the X-Files revival: "I've been excited about that for a long time, and I'm fired up to get back to it. Some of those episodes, if we do our jobs right, will be really f***ing scary."
He added, "We're gonna try to make something really great and really be something for the real X-Files fans, and maybe find some new ones." The director also revealed that he has spoken with original star Gillian Anderson about the revamped series, though both her and David Duchovny's involvement remains unconfirmed at this time.
The X-Files reboot project was first announced in 2023, with Coogler working on Sinners in the interim. Nearly three years later, the pilot greenlight represents significant progress, though no release date has been set for the series.
