Indiewire announced today that the deal to produce the second season of The X-Files revival has been completed.
The complications for this deal appeared not to be on the studio or the producers, but the actors themselves. Fox and 20th Century Fox TV have been known to want more of the sci-fi blast from the past, but it was difficult finding a time that worked for David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, as well as creator/executive producer Chris Carter. Naturally this slowed down production, since there could be no X-Files without the iconic Mulder and Scully.
Gary Newman, FOX TV’s Group chairman, voiced his concerns in January: “It’s just very difficult. Their lives don’t lend themselves easily to finding time to do this. Gillian lives in London, she has young children. Coming to Vancouver for three or four months is not easy for her, particularly when she has other work commitments. David can be available, and then something big can come along for him. So it’s not easy to find time. We would love to do it again, and I believe there will be a time when it happens, but it does not feel imminent to me.”
Which would be a disappointment to not only the fans, but the studios themselves. In its first season run, the reboot earned an average multi-platform audience of almost 16 million viewers, earning the number two slot for broadcast drama last season.
Thankfully, a time and place has been worked out between Duchovny, Anderson, and Carter, and the second season is expected to premiere during the 2017-2018 season. Production is set to begin this summer, and the season will encompass ten new episodes with our favorite duo. However, if you’re still aching for some X-Files, you can always look forward to the new Audible series they’re releasing in July.
As for how many more seasons are in the show’s future, it is still unknown. However, David Madden, President of Fox Broadcasting Company, announced his excitement for the return of the program: “Iconic characters, rich storytelling, bold creators – these are the hallmarks of great TV shows. And they are some of the reasons why The X-Files has had such a profound impact on millions of fans worldwide. Chris’ creativity, along with the brilliant work of David and Gillian, continue to propel this pop culture phenomenon, and we can’t wait to see what fresh mysteries Mulder and Scully uncover in this next chapter of The X-Files.”