| X-File News (Miscellaneous reports) |
| As Reported On E-Online: "X-Files" Sequel Definitely Out There by Josh Grossberg Nov 7, 2001, 10:30 AM PT There's a conspiracy afoot to bring back Mulder into The X-Files. Show mastermind Chris Carter confirms to E! Online that he is in talks with 20th Century Fox to do a sequel to 1998's X-Files movie, complete with original series stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. "They've both expressed interest in doing the movie so it's really just negotiations. I've spoken to them both personally," Carter said in a phone interview. Duchovny's return to the paranormal sci-fi franchise that launched his career would definitely raise eyebrows. The actor waged a well-publicized legal battle against the series that eventually led to his departure at the end of last season. While he's through with the television version, Duchovny has stated he'd be willing to reprise the role of Fox "Spooky" Mulder for X-Files movies. Same goes for the 33-year-old Anderson, who has said she intends to exit the show at the end of the upcoming season to spend more time with her daughter, Piper. Of course, reuniting the FBI agents might take some 'splaining, especially since Mulder is going to be MIA from the series. Daily Variety says the new X-Files film would likely depart from the aliens-among-us mythology laid down during the show's nine seasons and instead center on an unrelated, stand-alone mystery. Carter, however, envisions the sequel as an extension of the TV series, just like the first film, taking its cues from the continuing saga in hopes of keeping X-Philes interested in the tube version. "It's important that somehow the movie excite the fans for more of the series," he said. "This season we are dealing with the Mulder story and hopefully we'll be at a place by the end...where it might platform the next movie." Carter also says that while it's still too early, he could see some of the X-Files most recent additions, such as actor Robert Patrick (who joined the cast last season as hard-headed Agent John Doggett) and Annabeth Gish (Special Agent Monica Reyes), possibly popping up in a future film. Carter has said he sees The X-Files as a potential film franchise, � la Star Trek. Of course, work on the sequel can't begin until the studio green-lights the project--and that all depends on the script. Carter is expected to hatch the latest X-File with series vet (and cowriter of the first film) Frank Spotnitz over the next several months. If all goes as planned, production on the sequel could get started in late 2002 for a targeted release in December 2003, according to Variety. No word yet whether director Rob Bowman will be back behind the camera. A sequel would seem like a no-brainer for Fox. The original film grossed a solid $84 million domestically and did well on video. Overall, The X-Files has earned the studio more than $1 billion. But until Mulder and Scully reunite on celluloid, X-Philes will have to make do with a new crop of recruits, including Cary Elwes as FBI Assistant Director Brad Follmer and ex-Xena Lucy Lawless, who turns up on the season premiere in what could become a recurring role as a mysterious woman from Doggett's past. The ninth season of The X-Files kicks off Sunday on Fox. For those fans feeling nostalgic, Fox is also releasing a box set of the show's fourth season (seasons one-three are already available) next Tuesday. As Reported On The CNN Website: NEW YORK (Reuters) -- FX is preparing to unload reruns of "The X-Files," the sci-fi drama that put the cable channel on the map four years ago, to a competing cable network, Variety reports. The deal could reap a cash bonanza of more than $200 million for the show's syndicator, Twentieth TV. Both FX and Twentieth are owned by News Corp., whose Fox broadcast network bowed "The X-Files" in 1993. Sources said Twentieth TV is fielding offers from at least two networks, TNT and the Sci Fi Channel, to take over the remaining four years of FX's license term to "X-Files." In one scenario, AOL Time Warner's TNT and Vivendi/USA's Sci Fi would share in the purchase of the series, which would set an industry precedent: Two networks owned by competing media conglomerates have never engineered a joint purchase of a series as high-profile as "X-Files." The various parties to these talks either declined to comment or couldn't be reached. It's no coincidence that these negotiations are taking place less than a year after News Corp. settled a lawsuit brought by "NYPD Blue" producer Steven Bochco, who had charged that Twentieth sold the reruns to his show to FX for a bargain, thus affecting his cut of the proceeds. The outcome of that suit was that FX, after screening reruns of "NYPD Blue" for four years, handed the show back to Twentieth, which then sold the show's repeats to TNT and Court TV for a shared $850,000 an episode -- more than double what FX had originally paid for "NYPD Blue" back in 1997. TNT and Court TV are part of the AOL Time Warner empire. Following the "NYPD Blue" deal, representatives for "X-Files" creator-producer Chris Carter, a profit participant, made it known to Twentieth that they thought it would be worthwhile to test the marketplace, in the event that another network might be eager to pony up a bigger license fee than the $600,000 an episode being shelled out by FX for "X-Files." Carter had reason to think "X-Files" was worth more. TNN, after all, agreed to pay $1 million an episode to its sister company Paramount TV for reruns of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" two years ago, despite the fact that TV stations had squeezed just about every drop of Nielsen decimals out of the series for more than a dozen years. That deal came together when the economy was booming. But TNN is getting its money's worth by running "Next Generation" at 8 and 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 8 to midnight on Friday. If TNT and Sci Fi decided to pool their resources and share "X-Files," Twentieth could collect $1 million or so per episode, reaping about $300,000 an episode more in license fees than it gets under its existing FX deal. FX pays $600,000 per episode now, and likely would ask for some sort of low-six-figure per-episode compensation for letting the series go. That's because FX could lose viewers to the competing network that gets "X-Files." Multiplied by the show's 200 episodes, the potential $300,000 windfall would yield some $60 million in found money to News Corp. and the other profit participants. On TV stations in weekend broadcast syndication, "X-Files" repeats have consistently ranked among the two or three highest-rated weekly series since they started in the fall of 1997. |
| The X-Files and its affiliated characters belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions, and the Fox Network |
| My Commentary: Well everyone, it's been nine great years. It has been hard for me over these past few weeks (as corny as that sounds). It was even harder for me to watch reruns but with a little help, I was able to watch some episodes. I'm sure everyone is rolling their eyes right about now, but it is hard to explain how much this show meant to me and how much I need it to survive. Thanks to everyone for their support, I couldn't have done it without your love and understanding. The X-Files will always live on in my heart and my mind and it will always be the love of my life. |