Hulu has ordered Ryan Coogler’s reimagining of “The X-Files” to series, putting the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind new FBI agents chasing unexplained phenomena, not simple copies of Mulder and Scully.
Variety reported on Oct. 13, 2026, that the streamer has picked up the project after taking the pilot in February, handing Coogler a high-profile follow-up to his awards run with “Sinners.”
Coogler wrote, directed, and executive produced the pilot. He will stay on as an executive producer for the series, which Proximity Media and 20th Television are producing. Jennifer Yale will serve as showrunner.
The original Fox sci-fi drama ran 11 seasons, drew 61 Emmy nominations, and won 15. Coogler’s version keeps the core premise while putting fresh faces in the field.
Danielle Deadwyler and Himesh Patel will star. Both also serve as co-executive producers. A source told Variety they are playing new characters, not iterations of Dana Scully and Fox Mulder, the roles Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny made famous.
Deadwyler is known for “The Harder They Fall,” “Till,” and “The Piano Lesson.” Patel’s credits include “EastEnders,” “Yesterday,” and a supporting turn in “The Odyssey.” The two previously appeared together in the HBO Max miniseries “Station Eleven.”
The logline is straightforward: two highly decorated but vastly different FBI agents form an unlikely bond after they are assigned to a long-shuttered division that handles cases involving unexplained phenomena.
Proximity Media, co-founded by Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, and Sev Ohanian, is behind the reboot. Zinzi Coogler, Ohanian, and original series creator Chris Carter are executive producers. Simone Harris of Proximity Media is a co-executive producer.
Coogler framed the job as both a fan’s project and a careful handoff.
Ryan Coogler said:
“I’ve loved ‘The X-Files’ for a long time, so getting the chance to write and direct the pilot has meant a great deal to me.”
He added:
“What Chris Carter created is special, and we wanted to honor everything that made the original series connect with so many people while also finding our own way into that world. Danielle and Himesh, along with the rest of our cast, have brought such original perspectives and performances to these characters, and watching that come together has been one of the most rewarding parts of the experience.”
“Sinners” set an all-time record with 16 nominations and won four awards, including screenplay for Coogler and best actor for Michael B. Jordan. The “X-Files” series order is his most visible television move in the wake of that run.
Episode count and premiere window were not announced. Filming location and additional cast names beyond the leads also were not listed.
Hollywood keeps mining proven titles, but this one still rests on a simple idea: two agents, hard evidence, and cases the bureaucracy would rather leave closed. If Coogler keeps the skepticism and skips the lecture, the truth may still be out there for a new audience.
