Ryan Coogler’s ‘X-Files’ reboot starring Himesh Patel, Danielle Deadwyler gets series order

Filmmaker Ryan Coogler’s reboot of the popular science fiction series The X-Files, starring Himesh Patel and Danielle Deadwyler, has received a series order from streaming platform Hulu.

The reimagining of creator Chris Carter’s original series comes from Onyx Collective and 20th Television. It follows two highly decorated but vastly different FBI agents, played by Deadwyler and Patel, who form an unlikely bond after being assigned to a long-shuttered division investigating unexplained phenomena.

Coogler, known for directing Sinners and the Black Panther films, has written, directed and executive produced the pilot through his production company Proximity Media.

He will executive produce the series alongside showrunner Jennifer Yale, Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian of Proximity Media, and Carter, the creator of the original series. Simone Harris, Deadwyler and Patel will serve as co-executive producers.

“I’ve loved The X-Files for a long time, so getting the chance to write and direct the pilot has meant a great deal to me,” Coogler told Deadline. “What Chris Carter created is special, and we wanted to honour everything that made the original series connect with so many people while also finding our own way into that world”.

In a joint statement, Zinzi Coogler, Ohanian and Ryan Coogler said, “We’re looking forward to continuing this journey as executive producers and especially excited to work closely with Jennifer Yale, Simone Harris and the entire cast and crew as we bring this new chapter of The X-Files to life”.

Carter’s original The X-Files starred Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny as FBI special agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder, who investigate cases involving paranormal phenomena. The series premiered on Fox in 1993 and ran for nine seasons.

The franchise also spawned two feature films, The X-Files in 1998 and The X-Files: I Want to Believe in 2008, followed by a television revival that premiered in 2016 and ran for two seasons.

Patel was most recently seen in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Deadwyler’s credits include The Bell Jar and The Chaperones.