The X-Files is coming back to our screens once again, but in a brand new form. Variety has broken the news that Fox is working on an animated comedy spinoff of the long-running sci-fi franchise. Yes, even after 27 years, the truth is still out there.
The new show is currently titled The X-Files: Albuquerque and will focus on paranormal mysteries that are too “wacky, ridiculous or downright dopey” for Mulder and Scully to tackle. Sure enough, neither Gillian Anderson – who officially retired as Dana Scully a couple of years ago – or David Duchovny are expected to lend their voices to the series at this stage. Creator Chris Carter will oversee the production as exec producer, with Rocky Russo and Jeremy Sosenko (Movie 43) serving as showrunners.
This news comes at a time when the Star Trek franchise is airing its own dip into the world of animated comedy, with CBS All Access’ Star Treks: Lower Decks likewise offering a lighter-hearted take on a well-loved sci-fi universe. Lower Decks follows a bunch of less-successful characters than we’re used to seeing, and by the sounds of it, X-Files: Albuquerque will do the same thing. Variety notes that the show will “revolve around an office of misfit agents” who are basically “the X-Files’ B-team.”
The X-Files ran for nine seasons on Fox from 1993 to 2002. It also spawned two theatrical films, one during the show’s original run in 1998 and another, The X-Files: I Want to Believe, in 2008. Carter later resurrected it for a couple of miniseries in 2016 and 2018, bringing its total to 11 seasons. Albuquerque will be the show’s second spinoff, following The Lone Gunmen, which ran for a single season in 2001.
Lower Decks has been met with polarizing reactions in the Star Trek fandom, so it’ll certainly be interesting to see how The X-Files lovers react to this news.
