The animated spinoff, The X-Files Albuquerque, is reportedly no longer moving forward. The formative sci-fi series created by Chris Carter, which followed FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) investigating cases involving paranormal phenomena, ran for 11 seasons of success on Fox. There have been many attempts to revive The X-Files over the years, including two feature films and a return to television. In 2020, Fox announced that an animated X-Files spinoff was in the works with Carter attached as an executive producer.
Now, the animated spinoff X-Files spinoff is reportedly no longer moving forward at Fox, according to TVLine. The network declined to comment on the story. News of The X-Files Albuquerque‘s cancelation comes soon after Carter revealed that a new iteration of The X-Files is in development from Black Panther director Ryan Coogler.
Why The Animated X-Files Spinoff Probably Wouldn’t Have Worked
The fact The X-Files: Albuquerque is no longer moving forward at Fox shouldn’t be too disappointing for X-Files fans, as the animated spinoff probably wouldn’t have worked anyway. The scrapped series wasn’t going to feature Mulder or Scully. Instead, it would have revolved around an office full of misfit agents who investigate cases that are below Mulder and Scully’s pay grade, or too far-fetched for even them to take seriously. The animated spinoff was said to be a comedy.
While animated comedic spinoffs like Star Trek: Lower Decks have been successful, The X-Files: Albuquerque contradicts the fundamental idea of the original show. In The X-Files, Mulder or Scully were already considered outcasts within the FBI who investigated cases that no one else took seriously, and would rarely reject cases for being too wacky or ridiculous. The very premise of The X-Files: Albuquerque sounds counter-intuitive to the original show, so it is probably for the best it is no longer moving forward.
Source: TVLine