Hulu Orders Ryan Coogler's X-Files Reboot to Series
Hulu has ordered Ryan Coogler's reboot of The X-Files to series, with Danielle Deadwyler and Himesh Patel as its two leads, Deadline reported on 13 October 2026.
A series order means the show moves into full production beyond its first trial episode. In this version, Deadwyler and Patel play two FBI agents assigned to a long-shuttered division devoted to cases involving unexplained phenomena.
The pair are described as highly decorated but vastly different. Their beat sits at the centre of the story: strange cases, sealed files and a unit no one else wants to touch.
The path to series began with a pilot order, meaning Hulu backed a single test episode first. That pilot was greenlit in February 2026 with Deadwyler attached to star, and Patel joined opposite her the following month, Deadline reported. Amy Madigan and Steve Buscemi later joined the cast alongside the two leads.
Coogler wrote, directed and executive produced the pilot through his company Proximity Media. Jennifer Yale serves as showrunner, the person who leads day-to-day creative decisions, and executive producer.
Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian and original series creator Chris Carter are also executive producers. Simone Harris joins Deadwyler and Patel as co-executive producers. Ludwig Göransson composed the score for the pilot.
The reboot comes from Onyx Collective and 20th Television. It sits under Coogler's five-year exclusive television deal with Disney, the parent organisation of Hulu, 20th TV and Onyx.
For viewers new to the franchise, the original The X-Files premiered on Fox in 1993 and ran for nine seasons. It starred Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny as FBI Special Agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder.
The franchise also includes the films The X-Files in 1998 and The X-Files: I Want to Believe in 2008, plus a revival that aired on Fox for two seasons from 2016. Carter said in a 2023 podcast interview that Coogler planned to remount the show with a diverse cast.
