Ryan Coogler Is ‘Perfect’ to Direct the ‘X-Files’

“Sinners” director Ryan Coogler is currently at the top of Hollywood off the success of his IMAX-shot vampire epic, which has so far grossed more than $168 million worldwide.

But the “Creed” and “Black Panther” franchise filmmaker has said that his next project will indeed be returning to another piece of I.P., a long-rumored revival of “The X-Files,” the beloved Emmy-winning Fox series about FBI agents investigating the U.S. government’s collaboration with extraterrestrials.

Gillian Anderson, who played FBI agent Dana Scully in the series that wrapped on Fox in 2002 but returned for two subsequent seasons in 2016 and 2018, has now revealed she’s open to appearing in another version. Especially with Coogler — the “perfect person” to remake it, as she says — at the helm.

Anderson said during ITV1’s “This Morning” in the below clip that she contacted “Sinners” filmmaker Coogler after it was rumored in 2023 he would be reviving the series. “I spoke to him, and what I said was, ‘If anyone were to do it, I think you are the perfect person and, best of luck, call me,’” Anderson said. “At some point, if the phone rings, and it’s good, and it feels like the right time — perhaps.”

“The X-Files” first aired from 1993 to 2002 on Fox, with Anderson and David Duchovny as FBI special agents investigating paranormal cases that revealed a government collusion with extraterrestrials. The series spurred two films — “The X-Files” in 1998 and “I Want to Believe” in 2008 — in addition to its follow-up seasons.

“The X-Files” reboot as described by Coogler was first revealed by original series creator Chris Carter during the “On the Coast” podcast in 2023. “I just spoke to a young man, Ryan Coogler, who is going to remount ‘The X-Files’ with a diverse cast,” Carter said at the time. “So he’s got his work cut out for him, because we covered so much territory.”

After that announcement, Anderson deemed Coogler a “bit of a genius” during the “Today” show in 2024.

“It’s so funny because for most of my life, since I have finished ‘The X-Files,’ every interview I do, people have asked and the answer has always been, ‘Nope, not going to happen, not going to happen,’” Anderson said. “Now, Ryan Coogler, who is the director of ‘Black Panther’ — brilliant, brilliant director — has approached Chris Carter to say that he wants to do a take on it, and I cannot think of a better way around for a reboot to happen.”

She added, “Whether I am involved in it is a whole other thing. I’m not saying no. I think he’s really cool, and I think if he did it, it would probably be done incredibly well. And maybe I’ll pop in for a little something something.”

Coogler later confirmed his involvement during the “Last Podcast on the Left” in 2025, saying that he will return to developing the series after “Sinners.”

“I’ve been excited about that for a long time, and I’m fired up to get back to it,” he said. “Some of those episodes, if we do our jobs right, will be really fucking scary. We’re going to try to make something really great and really be something for the real ‘X Files’ fans, and maybe find some new ones.”

Anderson has spoken out about her complicated feelings on returning to “The X-Files” before. In 2016, she made headlines when she revealed she demanded pay parity with her co-star Duchovny, whom she said was offered twice in pay what she was for her return to the 2016 series revival.