Ryan Coogler's The X-Files reboot gets major update and series star is also confirmed

Acclaimed filmmaker Ryan Coogler is overseeing a reboot of legendary sci-fi franchise The X-Files – with a BAFTA-nominated actor confirmed for the pilot.

The writer-director is currently on the awards trail with his horror blockbuster Sinners, which recently broke the record for most nominations at the Oscars with an astonishing 16 nods – including Best Picture.

After executive producing Marvel's Ironheart last year, Coogler is now plotting a return to the small screen with his long-gestating reboot of The X-Files, which has named Danielle Deadwyler as one of its stars (as first reported by Variety).

Once again, the story will follow two "vastly different FBI agents," who are brought together to lead a "long-shuttered division devoted to cases involving unexplained phenomena".

It hasn't yet been announced whether Deadwyler will be the Mulder (David Duchovny) or Scully (Gillian Anderson) in this familiar partnership; the former being a supernatural enthusiast, and the other a staunch sceptic.

The actor is best known for roles in post-apocalyptic series Station Eleven and romantic drama From Scratch, plus acclaimed film roles in western The Harder They Fall and biopic Till, which saw her BAFTA and SAG Award nominated.

The reboot is being developed at US streamer Hulu (recently incorporated into Disney Plus in the UK), which has only green-lit a pilot episode for the time being.

Still, with such prolific talent attached, there's reason to be optimistic that The X-Files will receive a full series order. Original creator Chris Carter is executive producing, while Jennifer Yale (The Copenhagen Test) has been named as showrunner.

Coogler will write, direct and produce, having been personally compelled to bring back The X-Files due to his mother's love for the original series. What better reason is there to reboot a franchise, honestly?

"My mum means the world to me," he shared with Variety last October, "so this is a big one for me. I want to do right by her and the fans. My mum has read some of the stuff I wrote for it [and] she's fired up."

It's not yet clear whether this version of The X-Files will share a continuity with the original series, but Variety notes that neither Duchovny nor Anderson are attached to the reboot at present.

Previously, Anderson told press in January 2018 that she was "finished" playing Scully, and elaborated on Duchovny's podcast years later that she "wasn't really enjoying the direction" of her character in the final season.

Since then, she's been plenty busy with an array of other high profile roles, including Dr Jean Milburn in Sex Education, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Crown, and most recently, Gina in acclaimed Channel 4 drama Trespasses.

For that reason, it's plausible that Coogler's take on The X-Files would be a clean break from the original, but Hollywood has favoured the 'legacy sequel' model in recent years, which allows long-absent characters to return in fan-friendly cameos.

We'll bring you further updates on this high-profile project as they come in.

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

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