Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files (and Millennium), might have a return to television on his hands — with a female protagonist in the leading role, no less. No doubt realizing that there is a growing appreciation for female geek icons like his own Dana Scully, Carter is currently developing a new show called Unique, a supernatural “mystery police thriller.” If the show is picked up for series, Carter is expected to write and executive produce. We really haven’t seen his work since the 2008 release of The X-Files: I Want to Believe. And that didn’t go well. But maybe now is the time for a glorious return and a whole new franchise. (Um, yes please!)
As are most things related to Chris Carter, the details concerning Unique are shrouded in mystery. Or, at least, there just aren’t a whole lot of details yet besides the most basic premise: a supernatural cop thriller with a female lead character. (And Media Rights Capital is producing.) Carter has been in demand for another project ever since The X-Files went off the air in 2002 and has even brought up the possibility of a third X-Files movie. But with the success of shows like Fringe, Game of Thrones, Alphas, The Walking Dead, etc. — in other words, series with science-fiction/fantasy elements — maybe he finally felt like it was time to return to the genre that put him on the map.
And why not a fresh start and a new franchise? Indeed, despite the bad reception to the second movie and the nine-year absence of The X-Files from TV, the cult status of the show and its characters — ahem, like Dana Scully — have a very special place on the Internet and in fandom, and it is probably very fair to say that we are ready for more.
And if Gillian Anderson would like to come out of hiding — aka her well-received career on the London stage and award-winning Charles Dickens adaptations, which are also great — to play this lead, if she fits the part (or if Carter just stands by her like he did when she auditioned to play Scully and execs were like “No, we need more sex appeal” and he was all “Whatever, look at this woman, she is Dana Effing Scully”), well, then we’d really love to see that.
(The Hollywood Reporter via Blastr)
