Gillian Anderson teases Sinners director's "f**king cool" The X-Files reboot - but will Dana Scully return?

The X-Files star Gillian Anderson has heaped praise on a forthcoming reboot of the sci-fi drama from Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ryan Coogler.

Last month, US streaming platform Hulu (a section of Disney+ in the UK) announced it had ordered a pilot for a new iteration of the iconic series, from the filmmaker behind Sinners and Marvel's Black Panther franchise.

Danielle Deadwyler (Rooster, Till) was the first actor to be cast in the project, which will follow "two highly decorated but vastly different FBI agents" who are "assigned to a long-shuttered division devoted to cases involving unexplained phenomena".

It remains unclear whether Coogler's The X-Files will share a wider universe with the original series or branch out into its own fresh continuity, but we do know that it has the enthusiastic stamp of approval from Anderson.

Speaking at Washington DC's Awesome Con, she revealed that she'd had a "few conversations" with the writer-director about his vision for the revival, and came away confident in what he was cooking.

"He's such a cool guy and so talented," she began. "The pilot script is really good. I would say, have an open mind and give it a chance because it's gonna be f***ing cool. It's something different."

Her words seemed to pre-empt the harsh scrutiny (or outright trolling) that reboots of much-loved properties can often suffer, urging viewers to "give it a break" when it is unveiled to the public.

"It's special," concluded Anderson, who didn't disclose whether she would appear.

Previously, the Sex Education and The Crown star had stated that she was "finished" with the role of Dana Scully, making headlines in 2018 by saying "that's the end of that" on The X-Files season 11 press tour (via Consequence of Sound).

It sounds as if Coogler's pitch would have to be very strong to convince Anderson to reprise the role, but these early comments (and the filmmaker's post-Oscars buzz) are promising signs that it is, at least, a possibility.

For now, we're still waiting to hear whether The X-Files revival will even receive a full season order, so it might be wise for us not to get ahead of ourselves.

Coogler revealed that his desire to crack open The X-Files stems from his mother's love of the original series. Similarly, his motive for reviving the Rocky franchise (via the Creed films) was due to his father's enthusiasm for the Sylvester Stallone-led classics.

"My mum means the world to me… so this is a big one for me," he told Variety last year. "I want to do right by her and the fans. My mum has read some of the stuff I wrote for it. She's fired up."

The X-Files is available to stream on Disney+. Sign-up to Disney+ from £5.99 a month.

Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Add The X-Files to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.