The X-Files

New ‘X-Files’ episodes to shoot in Vancouver, Smoking Man confirms

Agents Mulder and Scully are headed back to Vancouver, according to a tip from an iconic “The X-Files” series villain.

Local actor William B. Davis, who portrayed the shadowy “Smoking Man,” confirmed the show’s newly-announced six-episode run will be shot where the series began over two decades ago.

“That’s my understanding and I actually have my understanding from the horse’s mouth,” Davis said. “It will actually shoot here in Vancouver, and soon – starting in June.”

Davis said series creator Chris Carter has asked him to clear his schedule for the summer, meaning his character, a nemesis of David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson’s FBI duo, will return.

That’s in spite of the fact “The Smoking Man” has already died three times.

“As they say, no one ever dies on ‘The X-Files,’” Davis said. “What they’re going to do in term of regenerating my character, I don’t know. I’m as excited to see that as anyone.”

The cult classic series filmed in Vancouver for the first five of its nine original seasons, which debuted on Fox in 1993.
When its return was announced earlier this week, some speculated it would have to shoot elsewhere because Vancouver studios are already booked up for the summer, but Davis said the series has been in the works for some time.

Studio space and crews have already been secured, he said.

Sometimes you get lucky. We’d arranged to meet with the actor David Duchovny this week in Santa Monica, Calif., to discuss his new series “Aquarius,” a period crime drama coming to NBC on May 28, for a coming article. Then something else came up.

On Tuesday Fox announced that it was bringing back “The X-Files,” which starred Mr. Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as F.B.I. agents investigating alien-related conspiracies and bizarre, often paranormal, crimes. (The Internet noticed.)

The series began as an oddity in 1993 but became a phenomenon, running until 2002 and proving that the audience was out there for smart science fiction, horror and other genre fare. (There were movies in 1998 and 2008.) “The X-Files” became, for a time, Fox’s highest rated show, topping out as the 11th most watched series on television in its 1997-98 season. It also won 16 Emmy Awards, five Golden Globes and a Peabody Award.

“They call it a cult show but it wasn’t really a cult show. It was actually a big hit,” Mr. Duchovny said. “People call it a cult show because of the subject matter.”

The show’s metaphysical themes and (admittedly muddled) mythology would influence later densely metatextual, serialized narratives in shows like “Lost” and “Fringe.” Created by Chris Carter, “The X-Files” also served as a training ground for writers like Vince Gilligan (“Breaking Bad”) and Howard Gordon (“24,” “Homeland”) who would go on to run their own acclaimed shows.

Mr. Duchovny discussed the legacy of “The X-Files” and why Fox Mulder was the worst F.B.I. agent in history. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

Q.
Have you been in hiding since Fox made the announcement?

A.
[Laughs] No I haven’t been hiding. All the good things are good. The good things are working with Chris and Gillian again, and getting to do this show again and see what we’ve got. I’m as curious as anybody else. I’m amazed that there’s still an appetite for it and I’m touched. I think the frame of the show is so expansive and so unique and so influential, that it should feel present.

Q.
Why do you think the show continues to resonate?

A.
I don’t know. You look around at these cultural juggernauts, the ones that came after us.

Q.
There were certainly pieces of it in shows like “Lost.”

A.
That’s what I mean. Like “The Twilight Zone,” it ushered in a paranormal theme, and a scary theme and a horror-movie feel that was lacking, for whatever reason, not only on television but in movies as well. Now movies and television are dominated by this genre.

Q.
And practically speaking, it demonstrated an appetite for it.

A.
And a global one.

Q.
Part of the “X-Files” legacy surrounds genre, but another part was the way it combined serial storytelling with the Monster of the Week episodes. And this whole notion of—

A.
A mythology. It kind of introduced specialized knowledge, though you didn’t have to do homework to watch the show. They were always kind of juggling about what people needed to know, especially when we made the movies. Can we get somebody in who’s never seen this? And I’m sure we’ll have to juggle that again with this iteration of it.

Q.
When you were on “The X-Files,” did you have any sense that what you were doing was groundbreaking?

A.
No. I was just trying to pay the rent. I’m really bad with that stuff – I’ve never been interested in paranormal stuff. I liked horror movies when I was a kid, but only when I was a kid. When “The X-Files” came around, it was a well-written pilot and kind of a cool character, this irreverent F.B.I. agent. But who’s gonna wanna watch a show about aliens? Honestly, I was the wrong guy to ask that question. I had no idea.

Q.
What do you know about the new ones?

A.
I don’t know much at all. We’re gonna do six episodes.

Q.
Is it going to be serialized or just like a collection of movies of the week?

A.
We’re gonna do both. I’m pretty sure it’s gonna begin and end with the mythology. But I really don’t know.

Q.
Are you at all nervous about it?

A.
I think I’ll be nervous on the day. When I’m in a scene with Gillian, I think we’ll both be like, this is so weird. And I think we’ve both gotten better as we’ve gotten older, so how do we bring that to bear on these characters? If I were to look back at the first or second year of the show, I wouldn’t try to act like that guy. I’m capable of doing more. She’s capable of doing more. It’ll be interesting to see how we keep the characters the same but also the actors are better.

Q.
Are you shooting the new ones in Vancouver?

A.
Yeah.

Q.
Really? Because I remember that being an issue back in the day.

A.
I love Vancouver. The issue back in the day was I’d just gotten married and Tea [Leoni, Mr. Duchovny’s ex-wife] lived in L.A., and I wanted to start a family. I couldn’t be in Canada 10 months out of the year.

Q.
Have you and the other principals on the show stayed in touch over the years?

A.
Yeah I live next to Chris when I’m out here. We’re neighbors. Gillian and I have an email relationship. I maybe see her once or twice a year. Maybe if we do a convention — well, I’ve done one.

Q.
When was that?

A.
About a year and half ago in New York.

Q.
Were you talking about a new version even back then?

A.
We always talk about it. It’s always like, yeah let’s do that. But then everybody has their own things that they’re doing and it’s so hard to get everybody in the same place at the same time. We managed to that this time around, just barely.

Q.
Is that why you’re doing it now? Or does the time feel especially ripe for it for some reason?

A.
The time is right because we got our [act] together to do it. In terms of culturally or what people want to see, I don’t know. I imagine if we waited too much longer people would eventually lose interest. It’s different from something like “Star Trek,” which started out campy and then, especially with the J.J. Abrams stuff, became legit somehow. You might argue with me, but I always felt like we were legit. We’re still trying to do the same show. It’s not like were trying to make it 2.0, or whatever the .0 is now. 3.0. We’re gonna make the same show. But it’ll be interesting because Gillian and I are older. I don’t want to act like it’s 20 years ago.

Q.
But even 20 years ago your character had a kind of world-weariness that was perhaps advanced for the age you were then.

A.
Yes, maybe it will be more now. It will just be very weary.

Q.
So is the Smoking Man going to smoke e-cigarettes now?

A.
That’s a good question. Maybe he’ll have Nicorette gum. He’ll be the Gum-Chewing Man.

Q.
In “Aquarius” you’ll be playing a detective in the 1960s. Is that your first law enforcement role since Mulder on “The X-Files”?

A.
I think so. The interesting thing about Mulder is nominally he is law enforcement but he never solved one case in nine years. So he’s the worst F.B.I. agent of all time. As F.B.I. agents, I would say we were not by the book. Especially Mulder.

Q.
Are you going to solve a case this time?

A.
I don’t know. I hope not. That would really change the show.

Johel a écrit:Pas de Skinner pour le moment  

‘The X-Files’ Revival: Robert Patrick,
Annabeth Gish & Mitch Pileggi Eyed To Return

EXCLUSIVE: Now that the official greenlight from Fox has arrived – after extremely lengthy talks between Chris Carter, the network and 20th Century Fox Television – the rest of the pieces of the puzzle that is The X-Files revival are starting to fall into place.

With David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson confirmed to be returning to their iconic roles, the inevitable question of whether or not any further cast members will reprise their roles is lingering. TVWise can reveal that three key X-Files alums are presently being eyed to reprise their roles in the six episode event series.

Those three cast members are none other than Robert Patrick (From Dusk Till Dawn), Annabeth Gish (The Bridge) and Mitch Pileggi (Sons Of Anarchy)

Robert Patrick and Annabeth Gish were main cast members for the final two seasons, playing the parts of Special Agent John Doggett and Special Agent Monica Reyes, respectively. While Mitch Pileggi, of course, played FBI Assistant Director Skinner from the closing episodes of the first season onwards.

While sources have stated that the trio are being eyed to reprise their roles, it should be stressed that none of them have deals in place as of yet. In fact, studio insiders tell me that there are no deals in place for anyone outside of Chris Carter, Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. The deal making process will be getting underway in the days and weeks ahead, with some of the actors thus far only receiving feelers to see if they would be available.

Given that, the exact level of their involvement in the revival (assuming the deals close) remains a little uncertain. Sources have indicated that Robert Patrick, for instance, would perhaps appear in a limited number of episodes if he agreed to return, in part because of his contractual obligations to CBS and their drama series Scorpion – which has already been picked up for a second season.

In addition, I have confirmed that William B. Davis, well known for his role as CGB Spender/Cigarette Smoking Man, is also being lined up to appear in the revival (Davis himself revealed this in an interview in his native Canada in the past few days). But like the other three actors there is no formal deal as of yet – it is still early days after all.

William B Davis - X-FilesBeyond casting other pieces are starting to fall into place. Scouts are presently up in Vancouver and I’m told that the production will be receiving some funding by way of a tax credits programme from the Canadian Government. In addition, a number of writers are currently in talks to join the production team. One such writer is Glen Morgan, who recently created the BBC America series Intruders. From what I’m told he may also serve as an executive producer alongside Chris Carter, but I’ve yet to hear confirmation on that.

Frank Spotnitz’s involvement remains something of a question mark. I hear that both Chris Carter and Fox want him back, but his commitments to Tandem’s Crossing Lines and his recently green-lit Amazon series The Man In The High Castle make it difficult. Even so, my sources are hopeful that he will return in “at least a limited capacity”. Equally, I hear that another successful and busy X-Files alum, Howard Gordon, will not be involved.

As for the some of the finer details, no one is talking on the specific plot points beyond the fact that the revival will address the lingering storylines left by the initial nine season run and both feature films. That said, I’m told that Carter’s comment in the official press release was misconstrued by some outlets and that the series will consist of both mythology and stand-alone (or “Monster Of The Week”) episodes.

There is also early chatter about a streaming deal for the revival. Presently the original nine season run is available of both Netflix and Amazon Prime in the US, but a deal for exclusive streaming rights is expected to be hammered out in the months ahead. It is early days and it’s not clear if Amazon or Netflix would have the edge here, but the deal will be worth “big money”.

Finally, the studio’s international distribution division (Twentieth Century Fox International Television Distribution) is already bracing for a large number of international deals to close soon after the LA Screenings in May; with The X-Files revival widely expected to be the hottest US scripted drama on the international marketplace for the year ahead.

Johel a écrit:Aaaarf ! en plus je viens de voir un photo de David Duchovny dans Aquarius... Le coup de vieux...Quand je pense à Gillian Anderson toujours aussi belle...

Johel a écrit:Lors d'une apparition au "Late Show With David Letterman" David Duchovny a confirmé le retour de Skinner et de "Cigarette-Smoking Man"

David Duchovny says X-Files reboot
will be a mix of monsters and mythology

Ever since Fox announced that it was bringing back The X-Files, fans have been wondering what would be in store for the show’s return. Would the six-episode season (kicking off Jan. 24) center on the show’s mythology of alien conspiracy and abduction or focus more on the stand-alone monster of the week formula we saw when the drama first hit the air back in 1993?

Well, now the truth about The X-Files reboot is out there thanks to star David Duchovny, or at least what he senses is the truth (these things are always a bit murky). Duchovny stopped by Entertainment Weekly Radio (SiriusXM, channel 105) this week and told Jessica Shaw and yours truly what he knew about what to expect. While he has only read one script so far, he provided a good handle on what fans should expect as a whole.

“I know there are only six [episodes] so there’s going to be a mixture of stand alones—what we always called monster of the week episodes—and the mythology,” said Duchovny. “Which is basically what this series always was, which is a mix of those things, and even in this limited version there’s going to be that mix. How many mythology shows? I don’t know. I imagine two or three, but I’m really just speculating—I don’t know. I think we are going to continue on with the mythology as it was, but obviously this is new and we’re going to try and teach an old dog new tricks too so we’ll see. I’m the old dog.”

So it appears that like with the show in its heyday, we will be getting a mix of both storytelling formats. Duchovny also expanded upon why he agreed to play Fox Mulder again on television. “I think when I left a long time ago I would have said never again because I had had enough, and the nature of network television was you had to do 22 episodes. It was your life. It was your career if you do a show like that. So I would have predicted there is no way I’ll do it on television again like that. And also there was a certain amount of ‘I’ll show that I’m not just this guy’ or whatever—a certain type of fear of being typecast or whatever, or other people’s voices in my head [going] ‘Is this all you can do?’” But now I don’t feel that way anymore. I’m satisfied with what’ve done since. And all I have left is really just love and appreciation and respect for the show and for the people—for Gillian [Anderson] and Chris [Carter].”

Duchovny was also very candid about his feelings regarding his connection to the franchise, including an acceptance of its place in his legacy. “It’s just fun to be able to go back and do it. I don’t have any of those [other] feelings now. I acknowledge I will never ever do anything again that is going to be as big as The X-Files because they just don’t happen. It’s like a thing—it’s a cultural thing. Even if I have a big success, it’s not going to be like that. It just can’t. I don’t think the world is unified enough anymore to have something as big as that happen. There’s like four or five things going on at once. So I’m peace with that. How greedy do I have to be to have another thing like that? I don’t. I’m happy to have been involved in something like that, so I acknowledge that and I know that my obituary will lead with The X-Files. So that’s just the way it geos and that’s fine. If my obit has to lead with something, I’m fine with that.”