Ryan Coogler's The X-Files Reboot Gets a Series Order at Hulu, With Danielle Deadwyler and Himesh Patel as the New Agents

The truth is still out there, and Ryan Coogler is the one going after it.

Hulu has given a series order to Coogler's reboot of The X-Files, with Danielle Deadwyler and Himesh Patel starring as two highly decorated but very different FBI agents assigned to a long-shuttered division that investigates unexplained phenomena. They aren't playing Mulder and Scully. They're a new pair, and the bond they form is at the center of the series.

Coogler wrote, directed and executive produced the pilot, and he'll executive produce the series. Jennifer Yale (Outlander, Your Friends & Neighbors) is showrunner and executive producer. Deadwyler and Patel are also co-executive producers. The series comes from Coogler's Proximity Media with Onyx Collective and 20th Television.

Amy Madigan and Steve Buscemi guest star in the pilot, and Ludwig Göransson, Coogler's longtime collaborator, composed its score, picking up a musical legacy that belonged to Mark Snow for the original series.

"I've loved The X-Files for a long time," Coogler said in a statement, crediting series creator Chris Carter and the cast for helping the team find its own way into the world.

Why this one matters

Coogler is coming off Sinners, the record-breaking awards run that made him one of the most powerful filmmakers in Hollywood. He could have done anything next. He chose to reimagine one of television's most beloved franchises, and he put a Black woman at the center of it.

That's a big deal for Danielle Deadwyler, whose work in Till should have earned her an Oscar nomination and who has spent the years since proving it was no fluke. Leading a franchise like The X-Files gives her the kind of mainstream platform her talent has long deserved. Pairing her with Himesh Patel, whose Station Eleven performance remains one of the best of the streaming era, makes this one of the most intriguing casting announcements of the year.

The original X-Files ran nine seasons on Fox, spawned two feature films and returned for two revival seasons in 2016 and 2018. There's no premiere date or episode count yet for the reboot. Coogler is also committed to directing Black Panther III for Marvel.

Cup of Soul will keep following this one. We want to believe.