Considering that 1998’s The X-Files and 2008’s The X-Files: I Want to Believe were both modest financial successes for 20th Century Fox, it’s a little surprising that the studio hasn’t decided to reunite David Duchovny’s Fox Mulder and Gillian Anderson’s Dana Scully for a third big screen outing – particularly when everyone involved appears keen to move forward. Last year we heard from Gillian Anderson that a third movie could be on the cards, and now her co-star has expressed his bemusement over Fox’s reluctance to bring back the beloved double-act for more paranormal investigating.
“I would love to do another film, or more. I think we’re all game for it. I know I’m kind of perplexed that Fox isn’t more [enthusiastic],” says Duchonvy in an interview with Collider. “Here’s a homegrown property that you don’t have to go buy, like f*ckin’ Green Lantern or something, to make it. Here you’ve got an actual action franchise that’s your own. It’s weird to me, but I’m not an executive. I don’t know if they made the Green Lantern either [editor’s note – they didn’t], but I’m just using that as an example of, ‘Why make that film? Why not make a homegrown franchise that is excellent, and that has proven to be excellent and interesting?’ I don’t get it, but that’s not my business.”
It would seem the studio has missed a trick this year, considering how important 2012 was to the mythology of The X-Files, but Duchovny still has hopes that a third feature film will become a reality at some point: “I think Chris [Carter] is probably working on an idea, so we’ll see. Unfortunately, with the last one, they didn’t spend the money to compete in a summer fashion, and they brought it out in the summer. It should be a summer film. It should be an action film. But, the last one we made was not. The last one we made was a dark, contemplative, small $25 million film. It was basically an independent film. When you come out against Batman, it’s not going to happen. You’re not going to be sold as an independent film, and you’re not going to compete against Batman with $25 million.”
Originally published August 10, 2012. Updated November 29, 2022.
