| The X-Files | |
|---|---|
 The brand logo ofThe X-Files, first introduced on November 5, 2000, in itseighth season | |
| Created by | Chris Carter |
| Original work | The X-Files |
| Owner | 20th Century Studios |
| Years | 1993–present |
| Print publications | |
| Book(s) | Literature |
| Comics | Comics |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) | The X-Files (1998) The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008) |
| Television series | The X-Files (1993–2002, 2016–2018) Millennium (1996–1999) The Lone Gunmen (2001) |
| Audio | |
| Original music | Music ofThe X-Files |
The X-Files is an Americanscience fiction–thrillermedia franchise created byChris Carter. The franchise generally focused onparanormal or unexplained happenings. The first franchise release—simply titledThe X-Files—debuted in September 1993 and ended in May 2002. The show was a hit forFox, and its characters and slogans (e.g., "The Truth Is Out There", "Trust No One", "I Want to Believe") becamepop culture touchstones in the 1990s.Millennium, a second series set in the same universe but covering a storyline independent of theX-Files mythology, premiered in 1996. In 1998, the firstX-Filesfeature film titledThe X-Files was released, eventually grossing over $180 million. A spin-off—The Lone Gunmen—was released in 2001 and abruptly canceled. Six years after the initial television series was canceled, another film—The X-Files: I Want to Believe—was released. In January 2016, atenth season ofThe X-Files aired, featuring Carter as executive producer and writer, and starringDavid Duchovny andGillian Anderson.[1] Aneleventh season premiered in January 2018.
In addition to film and television,The X-Files franchise has expanded into other media, includingbooks,video games, andcomic books. These supplements to the film and television series have resulted in significant development of the show's fictional universe and mythology. By May 2002, the franchise generated$1 billion in total revenue,[2] $500 million of which is revenue from the television show.[3][4]
| Series | Television seasons | Duration | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993/94 | 1994/95 | 1995/96 | 1996/97 | 1997/98 | 1998/99 | 1999/00 | 2000/01 | 2001/02 | 2015/16 | 2017/18 | ||
| The X-Files | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 1993–2002, 2016–2018 |
| Millennium | 1 | 2 | 3 | Finale | 1996–99 | |||||||
| The Lone Gunmen | 1 | Finale | 2001 | |||||||||
The X-Files, starringDavid Duchovny andGillian Anderson, first aired on September 10, 1993. Originally following the work of Special AgentFox Mulder, anFBI investigator assigned to theX-Files, a division tasked with the solving of cases for which there are no explanation. Special AgentDana Scully, a shrewd medical doctor, is assigned to debunk Mulder's work, though as the two continue to investigate the unexplained and the paranormal, her own faith is also tested. Scully later works alongside bothJohn Doggett (Robert Patrick) andMonica Reyes (Annabeth Gish).The X-Files is generally divided into two classes of episodes, the first, "monster-of-the-week", or stand-alone episodes, and the second,X-Files mythology, which follows agovernment conspiracy to hide the truth about the existence ofextraterrestrial life. The series also starsMitch Pileggi as Assistant DirectorWalter Skinner,William B. Davis asThe Smoking Man andJohn Neville asWell-Manicured Man.
Millennium, aired from 1996 to 1999, starsLance Henriksen asFrank Black, a skilled criminal psychologist who could predict the actions ofmurderers andserial killers. Investigating thehorrific crimes, Black eventually became aconsultant for theMillennium Group, which believed that the world as we know it would come to an end at the beginning of the new millennium; a job which eventually leads to the demise of his wife,Catherine (Megan Gallagher). In thethird season, Black turns on the group and rejoins the FBI as aspecial agent, working alongside Special AgentEmma Hollis (Klea Scott) to solve brutal crimes within the FBI's jurisdiction.Terry O'Quinn appears often in the series asPeter Watts.
The Lone Gunmen, the third series in theX-Files franchise, follows the established characters ofRichard Langly,Melvin Frohike andJohn Fitzgerald Byers (Bruce Harwood,Tom Braidwood, andDean Haglund), in their attempts to compile conspiracy-theorist magazine. Far more light-hearted than its predecessors, this series also stars Stephen Snedden asJimmy Bond, andZuleikha Robinson as Yves Harlow.
The X-Files has crossed over withMillennium,The Lone Gunmen, andLaw & Order, as well asThe Simpsons (in theseason 8 episode "The Springfield Files").
| Character | Appearances | Actor | First | Last | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series | Films | ||||||||
| TXF | MLM | TLG | FTF | IWTB | |||||
| Fox Mulder | Main | Cameo[note 1] | Guest | Main | Main | David Duchovny | 1993 | 2018 | |
| Dana Scully | Main | Cameo[note 2] | Main | Main | Gillian Anderson | 1993 | 2018 | ||
| John Doggett | Main | Robert Patrick | 2000 | 2002 | |||||
| Monica Reyes | Main | Annabeth Gish | 2001 | 2018 | |||||
| Walter Skinner | Main | Guest | Guest | Guest | Mitch Pileggi | 1994 | 2018 | ||
| Frank Black | Guest | Main | Lance Henriksen | 1996 | 1999 | ||||
| Catherine Black | Main | Megan Gallagher | 1996 | 1998 | |||||
| Emma Hollis | Main | Klea Scott | 1998 | 1999 | |||||
| John Fitzgerald Byers | Recurring | Main | Guest | Bruce Harwood | 1994 | 2016 | |||
| Melvin Frohike | Recurring | Main | Guest | Tom Braidwood | 1994 | 2016 | |||
| Richard Langly | Recurring | Main | Guest | Dean Haglund | 1994 | 2018 | |||
| Jimmy Bond | Guest | Main | Stephen Snedden | 2001 | 2002 | ||||
| Yves Harlow | Guest | Main | Zuleikha Robinson | 2001 | 2002 | ||||
The first feature film,The X-Files, was released in 1998 in between thefifth andsixth season. It was intended to be a continuation of the season five finale "The End", but also be able to stand on its own. Season six opener "The Beginning" picked up where the film left off. The majority of the film was shot in the break between the series' fourth and fifth seasons.[5] The film follows the actions ofFox Mulder (David Duchovny) andDana Scully (Gillian Anderson) after their dismissal from theX-Files division.
Unlike the first film, the plot ofThe X-Files: I Want to Believe does not focus on the series' ongoing extraterrestrial-based "mytharc" and instead works as a standalonethriller–horror story. The film details ex-agents Mulder and Scully's search for a missingFBI agent. WhileWalter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) makes a notable appearance,John Doggett (Robert Patrick) andMonica Reyes (Annabeth Gish) are absent from the film. During a July 2013 panel discussion atSan Diego Comic-Con hosted byTV Guide, both Anderson and Duchovny expressed willingness to do a third feature film, but Carter was more reserved at the idea, stating, "You need a reason to get excited about going on and doing it again."[6]
In June 2025, Carter announced that he is working on a director's cut ofThe X-Files: I Want to Believe which will restore the original horror elements which were cut from the theatrical release due to studio and censor demands.[7]
| Film | Release date | Box office revenue | Director | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Other territories | Total | |||
| The X-Files[8] | June 19, 1998 | $83,898,313 | $105,278,110 | $189,176,423 | Rob Bowman |
| The X-Files: I Want to Believe[9] | July 25, 2008 | $20,982,478 | $47,386,956 | $68,369,434 | Chris Carter |
The X-Files starsDavid Duchovny,Gillian Anderson, andMitch Pileggi, alongsideBlythe Danner,Martin Landau, andWilliam B. Davis.The X-Files: I Want to Believe stars Duchovny, Anderson, and Pileggi, alongsideAmanda Peet,Xzibit, andBilly Connolly.
There are three series of novels based onThe X-Files franchise, one based on each of the three shows. During the run of the television seriesThe X-Files, many books based on it were written and released, including novels based on episodes, a series ofcomic books fromTopps Comics, and many "official" and "unauthorized" non-fiction books. Some of the novels, which were published in bothhardcover andtrade paperback editions, were adapted intoaudiobooks read by two of the series' stars,Gillian Anderson andMitch Pileggi. ThreeX-Files books rose to the top-selling list overEurope andNorth America. These books wereThe Official Guide to The X-Files,The Unofficial X-Files Companion andThe X-Files Book of the Unexplained.[10] series of licensed tie-in comics based onThe X-Files were launched in 2004, byTopps Comics,[11] and in 2008 by theDC Comics imprintWildStorm.[12] TheFox Broadcasting Network publishes the officialThe X-Files Magazine.[13] In total, fivenovels have been based onMillennium, the first being a novelization of thepilot episode. Some novels were also released asaudiobooks read by actorBill Smitrovich. In 2015, acomic book adaptation ofMillennium was released.
The X-Files spawned a large number of spin-off products.The X-Files Collectible Card Game was released in 1996, and an expansion pack was released in 1997.[14]The X-Files has inspired threevideo games. In 1998,The X-Files Game was released for thePC andMacintosh and a year later for thePlayStation. This game is set within the timeline of thesecond or third season and follows Agent Craig Willmore in his search for the missingFox Mulder andDana Scully.[15] In 2000,Fox Interactive releasedThe X-Files: Unrestricted Access, a game-style database for Windows and Mac, which allowed users access to every case file.[16] Then, in 2004,The X-Files: Resist or Serve was released for thePlayStation 2. This game is an original story set in theseventh season and allows the player control of both Mulder and Scully. Both games feature acting and voice work from members of the series' cast.[17] A 12-inchFrank Black figurine was issued by Sideshow in the same mold asThe X-Files charactersFox Mulder andDana Scully earlier.
The X-Files franchise has influenced many series over the years and became a television touchstone of the '90s. The first installment,The X-Files, became an international hit and its two main actors,David Duchovny andGillian Anderson, became internationalsex symbols.[18] Series such asBones,Fringe andLost have citedThe X-Files as a major influence.[19][20][21][22] The series has also topped ranking polls worldwide, but most notably in theEnglish-speaking world.[23][24][25][26][27][28] Carter, Duchovny and Anderson celebrated the 20th anniversary of the series at a July 18, 2013, panel atSan Diego Comic-Con hosted byTV Guide. During the discussion, Anderson discussed Scully's impact on female fans, relating that a number of women have informed her that they entered into careers in physics because of the character.[6]
The two other series in the franchise have, on the other hand, made less impact.Millennium, while well received by many critics,[29][30][31][32][33] garnered criticism for the episodes being similar to each other in content and themes.Variety magazine reviewer Jeremy Gerard, although his review was mostly favorable, criticized it for giving him the "nagging feeling" that it wanted to hurt him.[31] Many reviewers noted the dark storylines of the series, which were constantly mentioned as a reason why the show never became widely popular.[34][35][36] The spin-off, entitledThe Lone Gunmen, lasted only one season due to declining viewership, although it too earned largely positive reviews.[37][38]
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(January 2020) |
On January 17, 2015, Fox confirmed that they were looking at the possibility of bringingThe X-Files back. Fox chairmanDana Walden told reporters that "conversations so far have only been logistical and are in very early stages" and that the series would only go forward if Carter, Anderson, and Duchovny were all on board, and that it was a matter of ensuring all of their timetables are open.[39]Season 10 aired in January and February 2016.
In April 2017, it was announced that The X-Files would return for another season and would begin production in the summer of the same year.[40] Season 11 premiered on January 3, 2018.[41]
Following Gillian Anderson's exit from the series Fox announced that there are no plans for a season 12.[42]
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