Ryan Coogler Plans to Release 'The X-Files' Reboot Pilot As Feature Film

Ryan Coogler wraps 65mm-shot X-Files pilot and suggests the episode become a feature film

2 min read

Igor Pontes

Translated from Omelete BR

Reviewed by Duda Cury

July 17, 2026, at 06:47 PM

Ryan Coogler Plans to Release 'The X-Files' Reboot Pilot As Feature Film

Image credits: Playback

According to World of Reel, the pilot for the The X-Files reboot, directed by Ryan Coogler, was completed in early July. The production, which has not yet received the green light from Hulu for a full series, was shot on 65mm film by cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, who won the Oscar for Sinners.

The choice of format is rare for television – the only other recent example was the third season of Euphoria, which alternated between 35mm and 65mm. The two-hour pilot could end up becoming a feature film.

Omelete Recommends

Coogler reportedly asked Disney to consider that possibility, arguing in favor of a theatrical experience for the project. The studio has not yet made a decision, especially since the series as a whole has still not been approved.

Continue after the Ad

The pilot cast includes Danielle Deadwyler and Himesh Patel as two FBI agents assigned to an unsolved cases division. Amy Madigan, Steve Buscemi and Ben Foster are also part of the cast.

There are rumors that David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, stars of the original series, may appear in the reboot. Coogler, coming off the success of Sinners, is reportedly planning to begin filming Black Panther 3 after shooting the reboot pilot.

Everything about The X-Files revival

Ryan Coogler's version of The X-Files will be produced by Chris Carter, the series creator. Francine Maisler, casting director for Sinners, is handling the casting for the production. Carter first revealed in a podcast interview in 2023 that he had spoken with Coogler, who would "reimagine The X-Files with a diverse cast", adding: "He'll have his work cut out for him, because we've already covered a lot of ground."

The original series aired from 1993 to May 2002 on Fox. A tenth season with six episodes aired from January to February 2016. After the success of that revival, The X-Files returned for an eleventh season with ten episodes, which aired from January to March 2018.

The story follows FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), who investigate the so-called "X-Files": unsolved cases involving paranormal phenomena. Mulder is a talented profiler and a fervent believer in the supernatural, convinced of the existence of extraterrestrials and government conspiracies to hide the truth. Scully, a doctor and a skeptic, is assigned to analyze Mulder's cases scientifically. Over the course of the series, both become entangled in a complex government conspiracy to conceal evidence of extraterrestrial life.

Continue after the Ad