X-Files Reboot Scores Major Update as Ryan Coogler Details How Pluribus Creator Helped Shape It

Ryan Coogler is officially neck-deep in The X-Files reboot, and he is not flying solo. He is writing the scripts right now, leaning on advice from someone who knows this universe inside and out: Vince Gilligan.

Where Coogler is with the reboot

Coogler has talked about how his mom’s obsession with the original series pulled him into this project in the first place. The work is clearly real and ongoing. As he put it:

'There are times when I wish that I could separate and have a day where I’m not anxious about having to deliver the draft.'

That is the kind of honest creative stress you want to hear about when someone is reviving a franchise this beloved.

Gilligan’s fingerprints (in a good way)

Gilligan isn’t just the guy behind Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and Pluribus — before all that, he was a key part of The X-Files machine at Fox, writing, directing, and serving as an executive producer. So yeah, if you are rebooting The X-Files, you call Vince.

Coogler first ran into him in a very cinematic way: an elevator in France, during the Deauville American Film Festival back in 2013. That quick meet led to a longer conversation years later when Coogler reached out for guidance on the reboot. Gilligan jumped on Zoom for a couple of hours, walked him through the big questions, and left Coogler with a notebook full of answers he still checks.

'Vince gave me a couple hours of advice over Zoom and answered all the questions I had — I’ve got them all in my notebook, and I go back to it often.'

Coogler has also said Gilligan gave him broader pointers on how to make television, which tracks with the guy’s résumé.

The legacy Coogler is stepping into

The original X-Files ran nine seasons on Fox, from September 10, 1993 to May 19, 2002, with two modern revival seasons arriving later in 2016 and 2018. It is impossible to separate the show from its core cast, and that’s where the big question mark lives now: will David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson return for the Disney-backed reboot? As of today, that is still up in the air. No release date yet either.

• David Duchovny as Fox Mulder
• Gillian Anderson as Dana Scully
• Robert Patrick as John Doggett
• Annabeth Gish as Monica Reyes
• William B. Davis as Cigarette Smoking Man
• Mitch Pileggi as Walter Skinner

The short version: Coogler — yes, the Black Panther director — is actively writing The X-Files, he has Gilligan’s playbook in his back pocket, and the classic leads are a maybe. If his notebook is getting as much use as he says, we might actually get a fresh take that still knows how to chase the strange.