The X-Files is Back as Chris Carter Always Intended

In 2008 The X-Files: I Want to Believe was released as a standalone movie starring everyone's favourite mismatch pair of FBI agents, Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. The pair, long since retired, were brought back into the fray when a series of unexplainable events take place revolving around a missing agent and a priest who claimed to have visions of their whereabouts. 

While many themes in the movie were dark, it was released as a US PG-13 joint, much to chagrin of director and series creator, Chris Carter, who was asked by then parent company, Fox Studios, to edit it down to the rating which meant removing many horrific scenes and recontextualising the entire point of the movie. Critics and fans saw the half-assed release as a blight but always knew Carter's hands were tied.

Now, some 18 years later, the director has been toiling away in the cutting room, picking up those splices from the floor to piece together the movie as he always intended, and it's coming to Disney+ later in August.

Check out the fresh teaser:

So, while not a new joint at all, this 'Director's Cut' is still something worth your time, even if you've seen the original. When speaking with Entertainment Weekly on the upcoming release, Carter was expectedly excited and protective of his original vision for the movie saying "[originally] we set out to make a real-life Frankenstein movie, and due to a wide variety of factors, our Frankenstein never completely left the operating room". 

The teaser reminds us how well shot this was for back in the day, and now with the refreshed scenes and renewed context and tone, X-Filesophiles will get the movie they also always felt they deserved. It's even been rebranded as The X-Files: I Want to Believe - Vrach Frankenshteyn. Moreover, Aussies will also get access to it day and date with the US when it releases for streaming locally from August 14.

Finally, now we can all believe this was meant to be as dark and scary back then as it will be in 2026.

Welcome back, Mulder and Scully.