It’s official: The X-Files sequel will not be called The X-Files Sequel.
The highly anticipated sci-fi/supernatural thriller, out July 25, now goes by the seemingly opaque title The X-Files: I Want to Believe.
Of course, to the legions of diehard X-Files fans, “I Want to Believe” isn’t such a cryptic phrase: It was featured on a poster hanging in the office of alien hunters Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) throughout the TV series on Fox.
X-Files mastermind Chris Carter broke his silence to The Associated Press on Tuesday, saying, “It’s a natural title… It’s a story that involves the difficulties in mediating faith and science.”
Carter further elaborated on the heretofore secret premise of I Want to Believe, which he promises will “satisfy everyone,” from the “rabid fans” to the newcomers.
“If you’re 20 years old now, the show started when you were 4. It was probably too scary for you or your parents wouldn’t let you watch it. So there’s a whole new audience that might have liked the show. This was made to, I would call it, satisfy everyone,” Carter told The AP.
Of keeping the story under wraps and away from the blogosphere that didn’t exist 1993 (when the series premiered), Carter said, “We went to almost comical lengths to keep the story a secret. That included allowing only the key crew members to read the script, and they had to read it in a room that had video cameras trained on them. It was a new experience.”
In addition to Duchovny and Anderson, I Want to Believe will feature Amanda Peet, Xzibit and Billy Connolly. But good luck getting the specifics on their roles!
