Gillian Anderson calls The X-Files revival slow and intense

Fox’s revival of The X-Files is currently shooting in Vancouver ahead of its release early next year. The two leading actors from the show’s previous nine-season run - and two spinoff movies - David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson return as the voracious FBI Special Agents Mulder and Scully. And while we know little about the plot specifics, (presumably it’ll include little green men and a conspiracy?) Anderson has spoken briefly to TV Line about her experiences reviving not simply the show, but her iconic character.

“[It’s] strange to be back here. This is a lot of flashbacks, a lot of deja vu, a lot of remembering dynamics - and it's... a thicker substance to wade through than I'd thought... It feels like it's been a long time since I've played her. I can't remember what year the movie was, but it felt like [Scully] was further away from me than I'd thought she would be. But I've also worked really hard at putting her entirely to sleep, so that was successful; she's just taken longer to wake up.”

She goes on to say that she’s only read the first two episode scripts, describing the season premiere as "Slow. Intense. And it's setting groundwork, so it's got a particular role to play. It does exactly what it needs to do. What's a single word for fulfilling that requirement? Functional? Appropriate? Functional works. Slow, intense and functional.”

That’s certainly an interesting trio of descriptors from Anderson, which point toward another slow-burning mystery that the series has become synonymous with over the years.

The X-Files returns to the small screen in January 2016.

For more great film and TV news, head to our movie channel or subscribe to SFX.

Gem Seddon

Gem Seddon is 12DOVE's west coast Entertainment News Reporter, working to keep all of you updated on all of the latest and greatest movies and shows on streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Outside of entertainment journalism, Gem can frequently be found writing about the alternative health and wellness industry, and obsessing over all things Aliens and Terminator on Twitter. 

Latest in TV
George R.R. Martin
Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin has a new update on The Winds of Winter: "I wish it would come faster"
Lois and Peter in Family Guy season 23
After 11 years, Family Guy suddenly brings back a deep-cut character for season 23
George R. R. Martin in Dark Winds season 3
Game of Thrones creator makes sudden cameo in TV show for apparent joke about The Winds of Winter
Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again had Disney Plus' biggest premiere of 2025, but its viewership is lower than Agatha All Along and The Acolyte
True Detective
Matthew McConaughey still thinks his own season of True Detective is the best one: "It was one of the great events in TV"
Diego Luna in Andor season 2
Andor season 2 showrunner Tony Gilroy calls Cassian “Star Wars Jesus” ahead of the show’s return on Disney Plus
Latest in News
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Dark Souls 2 fans remind Death Stranding 2 director Hideo Kojima that he won’t be taking the DS2 acronym that easily
Minecraft Diamond Armor
Minecraft Pocket Edition got its name because one of its devs was a big "Nintendo nerd" who wanted to pay homage to the Game Boy Pocket
Death Stranding 2
Hideo Kojima says Death Stranding's themes of connection came about because "I thought I lost everything when I became alone nine years ago"
Monster Hunter Wilds trailer screenshot showing a young woman with long blonde hair tied back into a ponytail smiling slightly, pumping her left fist in the air
Monster Hunter Wilds' infamously confusing menus spare no player, not even Gemma's voice actor herself: "This is honestly what I’m struggling with the most"
Death Stranding 2 kiss
Hideo Kojima says "it was very difficult to direct" Death Stranding 2's big kiss scene, but Norman Reedus thinks "it was niiice" locking lips with Léa Seydoux
Ms. Marvel alongside the mutants of Age of Apocalypse
30 years after the original Age of Apocalypse, Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan will travel to the alt-reality to save X-Men history