Ryan Coogler to reboot "The X-Files"

[Starkers]

It's interesting, back in the day I was always a monster of the week fan and could take or leave the conspiracy stuff, but for the last year I've been re-watching the show (getting close to the end of S7 which means no Mulder soon) and I've enjoyed the conspiracy stuff way more, it gives the show focus, I think just monsters would have become stale quickly (this is one of the problems the Kolchak series had)

We are living in a very different time however. Willing to bet at least one of the Lone Gunmen would probably be an antivaxxer!

 

[wayoung]

Except...

The conspiracy arcs of the show were always my least favorite episodes of the show, especially in the later seasons. I was always much more interested in the cryptids, monsters, creatures, and likewise from mythology, folklore, and legends. I loved delving into those weird stories and those were still the highlights of the last two seasons.

Yes, I grew up loving the alien conspiracies but what really left a lasting impression was the otherwordly weirdness. Didn't help that Carter tied himself into soooo many unnecessary knots just to keep the mystery going instead of ever resolving. Anything. Ever.

That's why I think with a new set of writers and showrunner can bring back a freshness to the lore that Carter washed away.

Most people would probably agree with you re monster of the week vs conspiracy, except if you jettison the conspiracy is not The X Files anymore. There is no getting away from the "deep state" angle of The X Files. It's built into the concept. Even if you don't put it in at the start, everyone's going to be looking and waiting for it.

 

[wayoung]

It's interesting, back in the day I was always a monster of the week fan and could take or leave the conspiracy stuff, but for the last year I've been re-watching the show (getting close to the end of S7 which means no Mulder soon) and I've enjoyed the conspiracy stuff way more, it gives the show focus, I think just monsters would have become stale quickly (this is one of the problems the Kolchak series had)

We are living in a very different time however. Willing to bet at least one of the Lone Gunmen would probably be an antivaxxer!

And again, here's the issue:. The Lone Gunmen were right. So much so that they had their own short lived spin off. And such a large percentage of the US (& international, to a lesser extent) are antivaxxers, you're now supporting the anti Vax movement by making a recurring character that the protagonists turn to for help one of them.

And how do you disentangle Anti Vax from Q and deep state? You can't at this point. It's not like the 90's and 2000's where anti vax were a few looney earth mothers. Now they're hardcore alt right Covid was part of China's NWO plot and the vaccine will kill everybody.

In the 90's and early 2000's the conspiracy stuff was fun to read, watch, and laugh at because it was so fringe. Now it's mainstream, growing, and it's affecting regular day to day life.

 

[Jayson1]

Only the government is still as corrupt and hard to trust now as it was back then. If not more so. The deep state clearly exists but a new X-Files would have to change it's perception of the deep state to something more complex than a group a men in backrooms, secretly running the world.

You also got to do something about the aliens.They do exist in the continuity but you can't have them plotting with humans to take over the planet and all that stuff. Best to say they simply left earth. But maybe some of their tech and science and medical knowledge is still with us and that is one of the things being held secret.

 

[wayoung]

In the 90's and early 2000's the conspiracy stuff was fun to read, watch, and laugh at because it was so fringe. Now it's mainstream, growing, and it's affecting regular day to day life.

The deep state clearly exists

Case in point

 

[JD]

One thing I would do if is tie the monster of the week and the conspiracy stuff together into a more cohesive whole than we got on the original show. While you would still need some kind of a secret conspiracy behind the arc, I'd maybe move away from the government, and maybe go for a corporate angle, that way you can avoid any right wing conspiracy theory stuff.

 

[wayoung]

One thing I would do if is tie the monster of the week and the conspiracy stuff together into a more cohesive whole than we got on the original show. While you would still need some kind of a secret conspiracy behind the arc, I'd maybe move away from the government, and maybe go for a corporate angle, that way you can avoid any right wing conspiracy theory stuff.

So, Fringe.

 

[JD]

At this point there have been so many X-Filesish shows, that it would be hard to find an approach that another show hasn't alread taken. Which I guess could be a good reason to not even bother, since pretty much anything they do at this point is going to be been there, done that.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

"Been there, done that", is practically a selling point to a TV network. It's a lot less risky to make a Magnum P.I. or a Hawaii Five-0 or a Quantum Leap or a MacGyver etc. and retread safe ground than it is to try to sell audiences on something new.

 

[STEPhon IT]

It's interesting, back in the day I was always a monster of the week fan and could take or leave the conspiracy stuff, but for the last year I've been re-watching the show (getting close to the end of S7 which means no Mulder soon) and I've enjoyed the conspiracy stuff way more, it gives the show focus, I think just monsters would have become stale quickly (this is one of the problems the Kolchak series had)

We are living in a very different time however. Willing to bet at least one of the Lone Gunmen would probably be an antivaxxer!

The Agent Doggett era gets a lot of flack but IMO I thought the show actually got focused where the conspiracy should've gone, especially when I thought the mythos was the weakest thing on that series. With Doggett, and his partner Reyes, had to explore this field like fishes out of water; where they met and known associates they've respected and honored for years to later discover the same people were caught in this shithole called the X-Files. It was an injection of what I thought was needed but unfortunately it had to compete against the hottest TV series that time - JJ Abrams "Alias".

If they decide to reboot it, I think they have to go with their tried and true nature of the show, investigate strange cases and unravel an undiscovered monster who threatens small towns. The Alien stuff needs to be put to rest, I hated it.

 

[Reverend]

Put me down as decidedly uninterested in any more X-Files anything. Dropped off watching the show about two or three seasons before cancellation, checked back in for the finale and was deeply grateful I hadn't wasted two years slogging though whatever they were about only to end it like that. Never really engaged with any of the spin-offs (Millennium just seemed so dry and dismal, and the Lone Gunman was just cheap and uninspired.) Barely remember that second movie, never bothered with the reboot, and while I briefly considered a rewatch a year or so back, I never worked up the motivation to even take a crack at a "top 10 episodes" only rewatch. X-Files was a product of it's time, and one that really hasn't aged well.

At this point there have been so many X-Filesish shows, that it would be hard to find an approach that another show hasn't alread taken. Which I guess could be a good reason to not even bother, since pretty much anything they do at this point is going to be been there, done that.

Basically. A sci-fi lite/paranormal monster show in the mold of a police procedural is such a dead, stale concept, and it's been both of those things since before the show had even finished it's original run. There's nothing novel about the hook anymore. You can't even subvert and deconstruct it by telling the story from the monster's perspective or something since even that's been done already.

As a general rule of thumb; remakes, reboots, reimaginings etc. only work if 1) the original premise has some intrinsic merit, and 2) never reached it's full potential on the first go-round. Plus of course the all important and ever elusive: 3) Have something new to add into the mix that makes the retelling worthwhile.
It's why remakes of actually good movies never work. I mean 'Point Break'? 'Poltergeist'? 'Psycho'? Why set yourself up for failure with uphill struggles like that?

In the case of X-Files, not only was the potential of the original concept fulfilled, it was overfulfilled. Wrung dry. Stretched out. Beaten to death and repeatedly resuscitated until it was a shambling, aimless, dead-eyed and zombified shadow of it's former self.

The best anyone could ever hope to do is tell a slightly more streamlined, less rammable version of the show . . . except multiple other shows have already done that in the decades since, so there's really nothing of value there save pure brand recognition.

 

[Angel4576]

Inevitable.
Nothing is safe from the reboot schtick.
At least it'll have a diverse cast though. No greater hallmark of quality than something prioritizing the quota/checklist so as to enable "the message".

 

[Qonundrum]

If they made the two leads extraterrestrial, each having a unique power with limitations, and dealt with supernatural and transdimensional anomalies steeped in mystery -- oh wait, that's "Sapphire & Steel", a show made in 1979 and is easier to argue how it was an influence on X-Files than not. At least X-Files took some of S&S's tenets and made it Earth-centric in a fairly palatable way, even if it's more cliche... (then a bigger budget, or one that's not stretched because everything's happening in Vancouver and/or not-LA...)

 

[Steve Roby]

Only the government is still as corrupt and hard to trust now as it was back then. If not more so. The deep state clearly exists but a new X-Files would have to change it's perception of the deep state to something more complex than a group a men in backrooms, secretly running the world.

At least it'll have a diverse cast though. No greater hallmark of quality than something prioritizing the quota/checklist so as to enable "the message".

If they kept the conspiracy angle, an updated X-Files would have a Mulder type who's a Trumpist antivaxxer complaining about everything being woke. Truth Social is out there. Heck, they could air it on Fox News instead of regular Fox this time.

 

[Ovation]

Inevitable.
Nothing is safe from the reboot schtick.
At least it'll have a diverse cast though. No greater hallmark of quality than something prioritizing the quota/checklist so as to enable "the message".

Yawn.

 

[Rich Watson]

Inevitable.
Nothing is safe from the reboot schtick.
At least it'll have a diverse cast though. No greater hallmark of quality than something prioritizing the quota/checklist so as to enable "the message".

How terrible for you to have to exist in a world that contains people who aren't straight and white.

 

[Reverend]

What if they turn the concept on it's head and have all the out there, wacky conspiracy theories are actually true---oh hey there 'Men In Black', and hello 'Inside Job'. Didn't see you two standing right there . . .
The more I think about it, the more I think we're going to have to invent a new, more emphatic label than simply "played out". How about "X-Filed out"?

And even if POINT BREAK were as good as the other two originals you cited, I wouldn't have remade it either.

And if I was comparing their relative merits, that may even be a valid point. Alas, I was not.

 

[Jayson1]

One thing I would do if is tie the monster of the week and the conspiracy stuff together into a more cohesive whole than we got on the original show. While you would still need some kind of a secret conspiracy behind the arc, I'd maybe move away from the government, and maybe go for a corporate angle, that way you can avoid any right wing conspiracy theory stuff.

I would think they might go AI over monster. That is more timely I feel what with things like CHATgpt and all. The new bad guys would be a connection of of deep state information gathering and censorship pushing from places like the FBI and Homeland Security and people like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg etc. Or really when you get down to it. The perfect baddie would be like the family in Succession. Just toss some alien and monster stuff in the mix.

 

[diankra]

Put me down as decidedly uninterested in any more X-Files anything. Dropped off watching the show about two or three seasons before cancellation, checked back in for the finale and was deeply grateful I hadn't wasted two years slogging though whatever they were about only to end it like that. Never really engaged with any of the spin-offs (Millennium just seemed so dry and dismal, and the Lone Gunman was just cheap and uninspired.) Barely remember that second movie, never bothered with the reboot, and while I briefly considered a rewatch a year or so back, I never worked up the motivation to even take a crack at a "top 10 episodes" only rewatch. X-Files was a product of it's time, and one that really hasn't aged well.


Basically. A sci-fi lite/paranormal monster show in the mold of a police procedural is such a dead, stale concept, and it's been both of those things since before the show had even finished it's original run. There's nothing novel about the hook anymore. You can't even subvert and deconstruct it by telling the story from the monster's perspective or something since even that's been done already.

As a general rule of thumb; remakes, reboots, reimaginings etc. only work if 1) the original premise has some intrinsic merit, and 2) never reached it's full potential on the first go-round. Plus of course the all important and ever elusive: 3) Have something new to add into the mix that makes the retelling worthwhile.
It's why remakes of actually good movies never work. I mean 'Point Break'? 'Poltergeist'? 'Psycho'? Why set yourself up for failure with uphill struggles like that?

In the case of X-Files, not only was the potential of the original concept fulfilled, it was overfulfilled. Wrung dry. Stretched out. Beaten to death and repeatedly resuscitated until it was a shambling, aimless, dead-eyed and zombified shadow of it's former self.

The best anyone could ever hope to do is tell a slightly more streamlined, less rammable version of the show . . . except multiple other shows have already done that in the decades since, so there's really nothing of value there save pure brand recognition.

This is the problem. Remaking failures might yield results, but won't get finance; remaking successes get money but rarely works.

 

[JD]

"Been there, done that", is practically a selling point to a TV network. It's a lot less risky to make a Magnum P.I. or a Hawaii Five-0 or a Quantum Leap or a MacGyver etc. and retread safe ground than it is to try to sell audiences on something new.

I have to confess, I'm a big fan of all three of your examples, both the originals and the reboots. All of three of the reboots worked for me because they used a different style or took a different approach from the original, with H5-0 putting a bigger focus on action and character development than we got on the original, Macguyver turned him from a mostly solo hero to a member of a team, and Magnum PI gender flipped Higgens. Which brings up the question of what kind of approach you take with the new X-Files.

Inevitable.
Nothing is safe from the reboot schtick.
At least it'll have a diverse cast though. No greater hallmark of quality than something prioritizing the quota/checklist so as to enable "the message".

This is a really great idea, and would be a great way to take a new approach, since the old show was rather white, and it could potentialy give us a new perspective on some of the stuff they deal with. The fact that Ryan Coogler is potentially involved if this does get made, makes me think this is probaby the approach they'll take.
I'm glad to see you're such a big fan and supporter of more diversity in our media, especially SFF which does still tend to not always have a ton of diversity.

I would think they might go AI over monster. That is more timely I feel what with things like CHATgpt and all. The new bad guys would be a connection of of deep state information gathering and censorship pushing from places like the FBI and Homeland Security and people like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg etc. Or really when you get down to it. The perfect baddie would be like the family in Succession. Just toss some alien and monster stuff in the mix.

Not a bad idea, and if they really wanted to tie it back into the original show, they could always have the AI be based off of left behind alien tech.
The other idea I had was to bring in a privately funded version of the X-Files that are working for some big corporation and going after the monsters for some nefarious purpose.