Chris Carter speaks about The X-Files revival post-premiere

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

While most viewers will have to wait until January to see the first episode of The X-Files revival, two lucky audiences will have already seen it by the start of next week. The episode will be making its US debut at the New York Comic Con this Saturday and had its world premiere at MIPCOM in Cannes yesterday.

The Cannes screening confirmed something that X-Files fans will likely be very glad to hear: this six episode revival retains the same opening title sequence and accompanying music by Mark Snow as the show had during its initial 1993 – 2002 run.

In a Q&A after the premiere, series creator Chris Carter gave some details on this condensed new season, including talking about how the show has been updated for modern times:

"It’s a perfect time to come back with the X-Files considering global politics."

"Mulder and Scully used to walk around with giant cellphones. They now have the internet and they didn’t have that in the beginning, so much has changed. We’re trying to be honest with the changes dealing with digital technology, the capability of spying. Clearly we’re being spied on in the US, or at least spying on you. And there seems to be no shame in it."

"I think the show is true to its time. It’s as modern as the time it’s being filmed in. It’s certainly being filmed with the modern technology. Our stories are contemporary stories happening now, some of them ripped from the headlines. I think this show has kept pace with time."

Even though Carter and his fellow writers only had six episodes to work with this time around, that doesn't mean that it'll be all mythology all the time, in fact:

"We begin with a mythology episode, we end with a mythology episode, and the episodes in between are standalone episodes, including monster-of-the-week episodes."

If this revival does well, Carter has hope that there will be more episodes of The X-Files ahead, although he doesn't expect to go back to the twenty plus episode seasons the show used to have, feeling it's more likely that it will return with more self-contained mini-series or specials.

Carter will also be in attendance for a Q&A after Saturday's screening in New York, so we'll hear more from him then.

The X-Files revival is set to begin airing on Fox on Sunday, January 24th.