Moviefone Editorial

Tag: david-duchovny

  • 15 Things You Never Knew About ‘The X-Files’ Movie on its 20th Anniversary

    “Cherish the past. Enjoy the present. Because the truth… is coming.”

    When “X-Files” fans first heard the above in the first teaser trailer for their favorite TV show’s first movie, they got more excited than Mulder opening a new bag of sunflower seeds.

    On June 19th, 1998, “The X-Files: Fight the Future” hit theaters — while the show was still on the air. It’s been 20 years since “The X-Files” made its first leap to the big screen and expanded the scope of Mulder and Scully’s investigation. And even now, it remains one of the high points of this long-running franchise.

    Celebrate this anniversary with a few uncovered secrets about how they pulled off the original “X-Files” movie.

    1. Creator Chris Carter originally planned for the TV series to end and for this to be the first in a series of films continuing the show’s mythology. Instead, it wound up serving as a bridge between Seasons 5 and 6.
    2. The movie was filmed during the hiatus between Seasons 4 and 5 in 1997. Season 5 featured relatively fewer episodes with Mulder and Scully together in order to accommodate reshoots for the movie.

    3. Armin Mueller-Stahl‘s character, Conrad Strughold, was named after a real-life Nazi officer who conducted experiments on prisoners.
    4. Approximately 3000 live bees were used in the filming of the infamous bee sequence (above).

    5. The number 1121 appears several times during the movie and throughout the series as a whole, including on one of the domes in Antarctica. This number is a reference to November 21st, the birth date of Carter’s wife.
    6. Actor Terry O’Quinn, who plays SAC Darius Marchaud, appeared in two different episodes of the TV series in completely different roles, once in Season 2 and again in Season 9.

    7. The scenes set in the desert town on the outskirts of Dallas were actually filmed in Southern California. The real Dallas doesn’t have any desert areas nearby.
    8. The closing scene was filmed in Foum Tatouine, the same place where George Lucas filmed the Tatooine scenes in 1977’s “Star Wars.”

    9. It’s no coincidence that one scene in the film features a drunken Mulder urinating on a poster for 1996’s “Independence Day.” Carter used that moment as a chance to express his dislike of the film.
    10. The film was codenamed during production as “Blackwood” early on, a reference to famous horror novelist Algernon Blackwood. Scripts were also printed on red paper to make it hard for people to copy them.

    11. Chris Carter wrote the script in ten days, during his Christmas vacation in Hawaii. While on vacation, he set aside a few days to break the movie’s story with “X-Files” writer Frank Spotnitz on 3×5″ index cards.
    12. Their collaboration resulted in an outline that Carter would later write into a 124 page script.

    13. Most feature films have at least six months to a year of pre-production to assemble key production heads and build sets, etc. Due to the film’s schedule, the “Fight the Future” team only had (gulp) six weeks.
    14. All of the film’s sets — from the alien craft hiding under the arctic ice to the frozen cave in the film’s opening –had to be built as soon as they were designed. Which means the studio spent a fortune having to rent all the stage space to house the sets that were built simultaneously due to the time-crunch the film was facing.

    15. Director Rob Bowman, who helmed previous “X-Files” episodes, storyboarded the eff out of this movie. According to Den of Geek, he left the production with a book of storyboards as thick as the dictionary.

  • ‘X-Files’ Stars ‘Take a Knee’ on Set & Fans Take Sides Online

    “The X-Files,” but Mulder and Scully took a break from alien abductions to support a very human protest.

    To #TakeaKnee shows solidarity with the protests against injustice led by NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem. It’s meant to protest police brutality and racism, but President Trump and other opponents see it as disrespecting the American flag.

    Here’s the photo both Anderson and Duchovny tweeted last night (it was also retweeted by the official “X-Files” account):

    Most of the feedback was positive and appreciative, but there were responders who expressed disappointment with the stars for taking that political/social stand. That led to some debates in the comments, if you can call people just repeating their set positions “debates.”

    Here are some of the replies, from both sides:


    “X-Files” Season 11 is now filming. The release date has yet to be revealed. Season 10 aired six episodes in January and February 2016.

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  • Mulder and Scully Reunite in ‘X-Files’ Season 11 Set Photo

    The latest season of Fox’s “X-Files” revival series has finally started production, and stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are once again reprising their roles as FBI agents Mulder and Scully. The pair, reunited on set at last, couldn’t help snapping a selfie to celebrate.

    The photo comes courtesy of Anderson, who shared the shot on her Twitter page. The actress, sporting her character’s signature red locks, smiles in the foreground while Duchovny stands behind her, eyebrows raised.

    Is Mulder about to scold Scully about her lack of faith in the supernatural? Is Scully smirking because she knows Mulder is about to say something crazy about aliens? We can only imagine.

    Something we know for sure, though, is that the new season of “The X-Files” will feature more female voices than ever previously represented on the series, with two women writers and two women directors hired to work on the upcoming 10-episode season. The majority of the new installments will also shed the show’s infamously murky mythology, with more standalone episodes expected than in seasons past.

    We can’t wait to see Duchovny and Anderson’s sizzling chemistry light up our screens again soon. Season 11 of “The X-Files” is set to debut on Fox sometime in 2018.

    [via: Gillian Anderson/Twitter]

  • Gillian Anderson Teases ‘X-Files’ Return With Hair-Raising Photo

    The truth is right here: “The X-Files” Season 11, and we’re already worried about Scully.

    Taping started August 4 in Vancouver, What’s Filming reported, with Duchovny teasing his location on August 3:


    Anderson had even more fun with her August 4 tease, showing off her wig to play Scully:

    Some fans joked that it must be Mitch Pileggi’s new wig as Skinner, but nope.

    Gillian Anderson returned to Twitter on Monday to celebrate her #1 co-star’s 57th birthday:

    Love them. So much.

    TVLine posted some scoop on Season 11, with some troubling news on Scully:

    “Hearing buzz that Scully won’t be in the best of shape when ‘The X-Files’ picks up. Also, much like the last revival, rumor has it Season 11 will be bookended by heavy (and hopefully less contrived/cheesy) mythology episodes written and directed by series creator Chris Carter.”

    The mythology episodes are the favorites of some fans, but they were not very well received last year. Instead, fans gravitated more toward eps like “Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster.”

    Annabeth Gish also posted a photo teasing her return as Monica Reyes, who appeared in Season 10, Episode 6, aka the finale of the short revival.

    Shall we? #iwanttobelieve????#monicareyes #xfiles

    A post shared by Annabeth Gish (@annabeth_gish) on

    “The X-Files” Season 11 will up the episode count to 10. FOX is scheduling it for midseason 2018.

    [via: Den of Geek]

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  • Another ‘X-Files’ Season Is Happening

    THE X-FILES: L-R: Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny in the "Home Again" episode of THE X-FILES airing Monday, Feb. 8 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2016 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Ed Araquel/FOXMulder and Scully will be back!

    Fox announced that an all-new 10-episode run of “The X-Files” will start filming this summer, to air in the 2017-2018 season.

    David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, and series creator Chris Carter are all on board to continue the cult sci-fi series that originally ran from 1993 to 2002. Last year’s 6-episode revival, according to Fox, “drew an average multi-platform audience of nearly 16 million viewers and was last season’s No. 2 broadcast drama.”

    In a press release, David Madden, President of Fox Broadcasting Company, said, “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’s 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’.”

    The show was often at its most enjoyable in its Monster of the Week episodes and the standout ep from the revival was the hilarious “Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster.” So more eps like that one, please.

  • ‘The X-Files’ Stars in ‘Significant Talks’ for Season 11, David Duchovny Teases Return

    Fans were elated when Fox revived “The X-Files” earlier this year, though the six new installments of the classic sci-fi series were a mixed bag in terms of quality. Still, it was fun seeing Mulder and Scully back in action, and the ridiculous season 10 cliffhanger certainly left fans wanting more. But will they get it? Fox played it coy when previously discussing the possibility, but execs revealed this week that negotiations are currently ongoing for season 11.

    “We would love to do other seasons,” said Fox Entertainment president David Madden at the Television Critics Association press tour on Monday, adding that he’s been in touch with stars David Duchonvy and Gillian Anderson, as well as series creator Chris Carter. “There are significant talks with all three principals,” Madden said. “We are working hard, and would like to get a new season soon.”

    That hypothetical season 11 would probably be longer than season 10’s six-episode run, though Fox TV Group chairman Dana Walden told the TCA crowd that it wouldn’t be feasible to order a full 22-episode season for the next go-round. What’s more likely is an episode order somewhere between 8 to 10 episodes, according to Walden.

    The execs also addressed the revival’s middling critical reception, defending the new episodes, but also acknowledging that the devotion to mythology after a 15-year gap perhaps hampered the storytelling. That likely will be less of a problem in the future, they said.

    “I actually think the season was strong,” Madden said. “The episodes represent Chris and his team’s vision, and we will take our cue from them.”

    Added Walden, “The show was off the air for a very long time. It was introduced to new viewers, and (the writers) had the challenge of filling in the mythology. Going forward, there won’t be the same obligation to reset the series.”

    Duchonvy also fanned the flames about the revival’s chances, sending a birthday message to Anderson on Twitter on Tuesday that suggested the pair may be reuniting again soon.

    “If you see Dana, tell her Fox says she might wanna polish up the ol’ badge soon-ish,” the actor tweeted to his co-star.

    We’ll keep our fingers crossed that that scenario pans out soon.

    [via: Deadline, David Duchovny]

  • Best TV Shows to Watch If You’re a Crime Drama Junkie

    As a crime drama junkie, you already have a handle on the food pyramid of hearty, nutritiously litigious crime TV: “Criminal Minds” is your dependable grains group, the whole dysfunctional “CSI” family has your fruits covered, and “True Detective” is like a crunchy, dense helping of veggies.

    OK, don’t think too much about that analogy. The point is, crime show devotees such as yourself have your bases covered — you’re on that case like Veronica Mars after a double espresso. But like any good detective, you’re also voracious and thorough. No need to bust out the fingerprint dust, though, ’cause we’ve got your back with some outside-the-box crime TV you might be missing out on.

    ‘Fargo’ (2014 – )

    If you’re obsessed with crime, chances are you already love the Coen brothers. And that’s the start of why you should watch “Fargo,” but not the end of it.

    The Coens’ legacy gives “Fargo” its homely, off-kilter, and dryly hilarious flavor, but the show’s in-sync ensemble — from Patrick Wilson to Kirsten Dunst — and its smartly written, labyrinthine plots help it stand apart. It’s a reflection of a unique and time-tested style that’s not afraid to do its own thing. It’s also not afraid to kill off characters, so consider yourself warned.

    ‘The Bridge’ (2013 – 2014)

    Crime TV has a recipe, and that recipe is usually seasoned with a big ol’ ensemble and a killer-of-the-week plot. Not so with “The Bridge,” a show so good they had to make it twice (once in Denmark and Sweden and once in the States). This one’s all about intense focus; the intricate story relies on the crazy-good hook of a dead body found exactly on the border of two countries and all the dramatic red tape and frustration that ensue. Performance-wise, it’s laser-focused on Diane Kruger‘s knockout work as Detective Sonya Cross.

    ‘Luther’ (2010 – )

    The austerity and smarts synonymous with the BBC. Luther” in a hard-boiled nutshell, and that’s why you should watch it right now.

    ‘Daredevil’ (2015 – )

    Don’t go away — you didn’t accidentally click on a list about superhero shows. Yes, it’s true that you can’t throw a Batarang without hitting a comic book vigilante these days, but underneath the spandex, Marvel’s “Daredevil” is a surprisingly solid procedural with beautiful cinematography, some of the best fight choreography you’ve seen in years, and an electric cast.

    Matt Murdock might be a blind ninja prodigy, but he’s also an ace lawyer with a heart of gold and a plucky crew of misfits in Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson, and among all the criminal beat-downs, you get your fill of detective work and uber-dramatic court trials. Oh, and if you root for the bad guys, Vincent D’Onofrio‘s Wilson “the Kingpin” Fisk and Jon Bernthal‘s Frank “the Punisher” Castle are guaranteed to make you feel good for being bad.

    ‘The X-Files’ (1993 – )

    Hear us out on this one because we’re about to step even further outside the box. Like, so far outside the box that there might be some little green men and yetis and stuff.

    “The X-Files” is a crime show. There, we said it. From its original nine seasons to its 2016 Fox follow-up, Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny have not only been the most dynamic — and sexiest — duo in the FBI, but they’ve set out to solve crimes every week. It just so happens that the perps sometimes turn out to be ghosts or space assassins or gender-morphing alien cults from other dimensions. That aside, you’ve still got your “I-don’t-play-by-the-rules” agent paired with a by-the-book peer, the rugged chief with a heart of gold, the shadowy informants, the twisted conspiracies, and all the other crime TV tropes you can shake a government-issued Glock 19 at.

    Give Mulder and Scully a single season of your time, and you won’t just want to believe — you will believe.

    Sources

  • Will There Be More ‘X-Files’ After That Insane Finale Cliffhanger?

    X-FilesThe truth is still out there — but will “X-Files” fans ever find it?

    Fox’s six-episode revival of the sci-fi series ended on a tremendous cliffhanger, begging the question of whether the show will go on. The answer: It might.

    “There’s no negotiations, but I had a conversation with [Fox president] Dana Walden today,” Carter told E! News. “They said they’re certainly up for more if we can figure out how to get it done.”

    The revival has been a ratings success, but booking stars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny might prove difficult. Though they’ve both expressed interest in continuing on, as Carter told The Hollywood Reporter, “The last negotiations took about five months, so it could be a while before we figure out how to do this.”

    The finale ended — MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD — with Mulder dying, Scully racing to save him and the rest of the world, and a UFO showing up over Washington, D.C. in the last shot. Carter assures fans that he knows what happens next.

    “‘The X-Files’ traditionally ended with a cliffhanger, and we didn’t want to do anything different,” he said. “This just happens to be a very big cliffhanger. I have an idea of where the story goes.”

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  • The 10 Best ‘X-Files’ Episodes Ever

    %Slideshow-359190% For younger viewers wondering what the big deal is about the return of “The X-Files” to Fox (for a limited-series run beginning tonight, Jan. 24, 2016), it’s hard to grasp how large the original 1993-2002 sci-fi drama loomed over pop culture two decades ago.

    Not only did it give us TV’s greatest duo in credulous alien-hunting FBI agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and his skeptical but loyal partner Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), but it also influenced everything from how serial TV shows interact with their fans to how they generate an over-arching “mythology” (a term “The X-Files” coined) to advance the show’s series-long plot arcs. Most of all, the “X-Files” atmosphere of paranoia, conspiracy-mongering, and existential dread became the dominant storytelling mode at the turn of the millennium.

    If you missed it, or if you want to go back and bone up before the reboot launches, you can stream the series on Netflix. But if you don’t have time to binge-watch 200 episodes, you could just stick with these 10 standouts.

  • 8 Times Fox Mulder Made Us Laugh Our Asses Off on ‘The X-Files’

    %Slideshow-359205%”The X-Files” is a funnier show than audiences give it credit. And no one was better at making us laugh with — and at — the super-serious alien conspiracies or “Freaks of the Week” than Fox Mulder.

    Whether he and Agent Scully were hunting down a shapeshifter or a vampire in a small redneck-y town, the FBI’s best profiler always kept things on the snarky side. In honor of the series’ return, here are some of our favorite LOLs from Mulder.