As I was watching Disclosure Day, it was impossible not to think of The X-Files. Of course both tap from similar UFOlogy sources and Spielberg was himself in turn an influence on TXF, but the similarities here are even greater — to the point where Disclosure Day could easily be reimagined as a possible resolution for the series’ mythology, a finale film that never was! Mulder and Scully bringing disclosure and changing the world would have been a nice ending, even though the world’s relationship with news and objective truth has become so complicated since the 1990s that I’m not sure if this wish fulfillment from Spielberg can still deeply touch people. Sure, there are some issues with the film’s script, the film hardly breaks any new ground, the positivity around empathy is more Spielbergian than Carterian, and you might have your own ideas on who is manipulating who with this whole UAP business. However, consider all the images I attach here, and I won’t say more to avoid spoilers: common points go from the generic to the very specific…
I think his character could have been used more in the series, but he was a busy actor in theatre, TV and movies. Most relevant for TXF, he was the main antagonist in one of the big paranoid thrillers of the 1970s, Klute, where he acted opposite Donald Sutherland and Jane Fonda. I am guessing that Carter cast him because of that role.
Working title: ALPHABET SOUP. Shooting will take place from 11 May to 11 June. That’s one full month, that’s twice as much that the 1993 pilot got (!) but typical for such a production nowadays. Way too early to put a date on airing, as no additional episodes have been ordered yet. I think it’s impossible for a modern series with 8-10 episodes per season to revive the vibe of a 90s era series, but it is what it is.
Casting call revealed some of the characters names and profiles for the pilot: several Indigenous characters, a biker gang, a missing woman investigation, a young girl. Combined with the Vancouver forest and something supernatural, this sounds just right.
More cast was revealed for the pilot: Amy Madigan, Steve Buscemi, Ben Foster, Devery Jacobs, Lochlyn Munro, Tantoo Cardinal, Joel D. Montgrand and Sofia Grace Clifton. These are some important names, this big production will feel quite different from the little unknown show that came out of nowhere in 1993. Disney is putting good money in this and this bodes well for a full series order. Some of these map well with the characters on the cast call, some not. Quite likely many of these are characters just for the pilot, not recurring characters.
Director of photography Autumn Durald Arkapaw has posted some photos from Vancouver, nothing revealing of course, apart perhaps from a vintage car that could hint at a scene taking place in the 1960s
Back in December, Coogler was writing scripts: “I’m a movie person, and I’m learning to be a television person right now.”
Also, “original series” actors weigh in on the reboot:
David Duchovny: “I’ve spoken to Ryan, and I have a general sense of what it is, but I haven’t read the script.” “There have been talks about certain things, but there’s nothing concrete at this point.” “I wish them luck.” This is very unlike Gillian Anderson who has read the pilot script and heaps praise on Coogler, laying the groundwork for being cast. This reboot sounds like it will be its own thing, and maybe in some future there could be cameos. Which is fine, it needs to stand on its own. (Hollywood Reporter & TV Insider)
Robert Patrick: “I can’t imagine them wanting John Doggett in this reboot. I am excited to see what he does with it and sees where he takes it.” (Comic Book)
James Pickens Jr: “I’d love to see if I could peek in and bring Alvin Kersh back.” (Gold Derby)
I expect some official photo from behind the scenes of the pilot to surface soon, stay tuned!
You heard it here first! “Queens For A Day” is the title of Chris Carter’s next project: a movie he is directing and that he co-wrote with his wife Dori Pierson, and whose shooting already wrapped one month ago!
Director of photography Craig Wrobleski broke the news with an Instagram post dated April 5 2026:
“Just before Christmas of last year, Chris called out of the blue (very Chris) to ask if I would like to shoot a movie he and Dori were putting together called Queens for a Day. Of course I said yes and was sent the most beautiful script filled with heart, humanity, comedy, heartbreak and timeless themes – one that kept revealing itself as you read it and, as we later learned, continued to offer up revelations with every shoot day. […] We just wrapped shooting on the film and it was one of the most unique and extraordinary experiences I’ve ever been a part of.”
Grace Gilroy is in the production team; she was a producer for TXF seasons 10 and 11
Casey Nelson-Zutter is in the production team; she was a location manager for TXF season 10 and a production manager for TXF season 11
from the above, we can say that filming took place in Vancouver, Canada
Nothing is known about what the film is about. The title is a riff on the 1940s American radio and TV game show and related comedy film, “Queen For A Day“, where contestants tell of their hardships and win prizes…
During an interview with the X-Cast recorded on November 23, 2025, Carter had said that he was about to embark on a new directing project. His wife wrote something about 35 years ago, it was optioned but never made. He found the script in their closet. She has updated it. They have found the perfect actress for it, it will excite TXF fans. They were searching for investors for it.
During an interview earlier in 2025, he said that he was writing a movie and that the script would be done by end of June. “It’s going to get made because it’s timely.” “I know where I want to make it, I know who I want to make it with.”
From the looks of it, the project went into production quite quickly, with filming taking place anywhere between December and early April. An Instagram post from Erin Boyes from February 16 could mean that filming only started around that time.
It is quite surprising that this information comes out of the blue, but it’s not unheard of, I hope that more information will start filtering out and we will get something more official.
I am very glad this has happened! Finally, Carter is doing something, his first project in 8 years and his first non-X-Files project in 12 years (since the pilot for “The After”). Now I hope something happens with this, because there is the odd precedent of “Fencewalker”, which was a project of his that was actually shot in 2008 but nothing came out of it. More to come as this develops.
3X20: Jose Chung’s ‘From Outer Space’ aired 30 years ago, on April 12 1996. Written by Darin Morgan, this was quite possibly the most important episode of The X-Files‘ mythology without being one. I know, I know, superlatives are risky. But JCFOS was an episode that could be read on so many levels: an entertaining story in of itself; a synthetic illustration of lots of UFO/conspiracy theories; one possible “solving” of the show’s mythology; a commentary on the show itself. And it did turn out that, if you buy into the whole revival-is-a-retcon theory and colonization was never meant to happen, then remember that JCFOS went there decades before.
I realize now that I never linked to Professor Baylock’s video analysis of the episode from ten years ago: “The Bridge to the Metamodern”. Essential vieweing.
“X-Files has been called the ultimate post-modern television show. JCFOS could be called one of the first examples of post-post-modernism, or metamodernism. X-Files is a show about aliens and conspiracies. JCFOS isn’t like the X-Files, it’s not actually about aliens or conspiracy, JCFOS is about the X-Files itself.”
