The X-Files Creator Chris Carter Gave Ryan Coogler’s Reboot His “Blessing”

The X-Files creator Chris Carter has been an integral component of the series in all its iterations over the last few decades, and with Black Panther director Ryan Coogler set to revive the concept in a new take on the material, Carter confirmed he has given the project his blessing. The filmmaker admitted that, since The Walt Disney Company owned the rights to the franchise, Coogler and company didn’t have to seek approval to reimagine the material, though that he will serve as a cheerleader and support whatever form the new project takes. Even without seeking Carter’s approval, he admitted that he was “honored” that he was contacted at all about the project.

“I’m not supposed to be talking about it, according to Disney. But I’ll tell you, yes. I’ve had a conversation with him. Yes, he likes to go with a diverse cast. And he’s got some good ideas,” Carter shared with TheWrap about whether he has spoken to Coogler about the project. In regards to whether he’ll get involved in the project in any capacity, he confirmed, “I wouldn’t. Only as a cheerleader. They don’t need my blessing. 20th Century Fox and Disney owns the show. They are free to do with it what they believe. I’m honored that they came to me and asked me, not for my permission, but my blessing.”

The X-Files premiered in 1993 and starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as special FBI agents tasked with investigating seemingly paranormal cases that the rest of the Bureau might not be equipped to exploring. The series earned a total of 11 seasons and two feature films, while also pivoting into other mediums to continue to explore the worlds of these characters. The show also inspired the spin-off series The Lone Gunmen, and while not initially conceived of as a spinoff, Carter’s TV series Millennium would ultimately cross over with The X-Files.

As far as whether Carter will watch the new take on the material merely as a fan, he confirmed, “Sure. Yeah. I’m curious. It’s not the easiest show to write because of the subject matter. It’s not like Law & Order, where you have the crime of the week. You have to imagine ‘what if’ and that ‘what if’ is oftentimes hard to tackle.”

Few details about the upcoming The X-Files have been revealed, so it’s unknown when audiences can expect the project to be released.

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