The revival of The X-Files is still a few months away, but FOX has released a new teaser for the series’ much-anticipated return that strikes an appropriately eerie tone for the acclaimed supernatural drama.
The preview aired during this week’s episode of Wayward Pines, and it offers a brief (15 seconds) peek at the six-episode series that will bring FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) back to the screen for more investigations of aliens, ghosts, urban myths, and other things that go bump in the night. The preview, which features the iconic musical theme from the award-winning series, includes plenty of nostalgia-inducing references to the original series (including a foot stepping on Mulder’s “I Want To Believe” poster).
Scheduled to premiere in January, the limited series features Duchovny and Anderson reprising their respective roles, along with the return of fan-favorite cast members Mitch Pileggi as Walter Skinner and William B. Davis as the Cigarette-Smoking Man. Rumors indicate that Annabeth Gish and Robert Patrick could also reprise their late-series roles as agents Monica Reyes and John Doggett, respectively.
The X-Files creator Chris Carter will also return as the new series’ executive producer, head writer, and showrunner, along with original writers Glen Morgan and James Wong.
Confirmed newcomers to the cast include Annet Mahendru (Homeland) and Joel McHale (Community), with McHale playing a conservative online news anchor.
One of the cultural touchstones of the 1990s, The X-Files ran for nine seasons and earned 16 Primetime Emmy Awards (out of 62 nominations) and five Golden Globe Awards, along with countless other honors, before it concluded in 2002. It spawned two feature films, a spinoff series (The Lone Gunmen), multiple comic-book series, and various other tie-in materials that expanded the show’s mythology well beyond its 202 episodes.
The revival of The X-Files will premiere January 24, 2016, on FOX.
