The truth is here. Ryan Coogler’s reboot of The X-Files is officially moving forward with a pilot order on Hulu.
Additionally, Daniel Deadwyler has been confirmed to play one of the leads in the pilot, but the other lead has not yet been cast. The pilot’s official logline reads: “Two honorable FBI agents form an unlikely bond when they are assigned to a long-closed unit specializing in cases involving unexplained phenomena.”
Coogler will write, direct and executive produce the pilot under his Proximity Media banner. Jennifer Yale (The Copenhagen Test, Your Friends and Neighbors) will serve as showrunner and executive producer. Proximity’s Sev Ohanian and Ginsy Coogler will also executive produce alongside original “X-Files” creator Chris Carter. Proximity’s Simone Harris will also serve as co-executive producer. The pilot comes from Onyx Collective and 20th Television. Coogler and Proximity currently have a general television deal with Disney.
Coogler’s take on the popular sci-fi procedural was first reported in 2023, with Carter revealing that Coogler had approached him about rebooting the series with a more diverse cast. There has been no official news about the project since then, but Coogler has hinted at working on a series in subsequent interviews.
“The X-Files is a relationship I have with my mom, just like my father’s relationship with Rocky,” Coogler told Variety in October 2025. “My mom means the world to me… so this is a big thing for me. I want to do the right thing by my mom and my fans. My mom read some of the stuff I wrote for this piece. She’s very motivated.”
Although this is the first reboot of “The X-Files,” it is not the first time the show has been revived since it went off the air in 2001 after nine seasons. Fox revived the series for two more seasons in 2016 and 2018, with Carter and original series stars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny returning as Dr. Dana Scully and Fox Mulder. Two “X-Files” movies were also released: 1998’s “The X-Files” and 2008’s “The X-Files: I Want to Believe.”
At this time, neither Anderson nor Duchovny are part of Coogler’s pilot.
Deadwyler is best known for his roles in films such as “The Harder They Fall,” “Till,” and “Carry-On.” She also had memorable roles in shows like “Atlanta,” “The Bear,” and “Station Eleven,” and appeared in other series such as “P-Valley,” “From Scratch,” and “Greenleaf.”
Coogler established himself as one of the most in-demand and prominent filmmakers of his time. He is currently winning awards for “Sinners,” which he wrote, directed, and produced. The film recently set a new Oscar nomination record with 16 nominations, the most for a single film in one year. Coogler is nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, and the film itself is nominated for Best Picture. Coogler recently made history by becoming the first black person to win the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Coogler’s other film credits include two Marvel films, the “Black Panther” films, the “Creed” series, and “Fruitvale Station.” Coogler was also a producer on the Oscar-winning film Judas and the Black Messiah.
Mr. Kugler is repped by WME, M88, The Lede Company, and Cohen & Gardner. Deadwyler is repped by Paradigm Talent Agency, Play Management, and Ziffren Brittenham. Mr. Carter is represented by CAA and Gang Tire. Yale University is represented by CAA, Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Hansen Jacobson.
