Nerd News

IBM plans to train and certify tens and thousands of consultants on OpenAI's technologies as part of this deal.

⚡ Quick Take

• Matthew McConaughey revealed during his Happy Sad Confused podcast interview that he turned down the leading role as Joel in The Last of Us.
• At the time, the actor said he was focused on writing and leadership roles, so being in TLOU wasn’t “for him” at the time.
• Nerdist’s Take: While Matthew McConaughey is a great actor, Pedro Pascal’s IRL charismatic personality resonates perfectly in this role.
• Go Deeper: Will The Last of Us season three will end this show’s saga or is the four season plan still in play?

The Last of Us is one of the most emotionally resonant and entertaining video game adaptation series in existence. The initial story of Joel, a man hardened by an apocalyptic situation and Ellie, a young girl who could hold the cure, truly blossoms into something special. To us, casting Pedro Pascal as Joel was a brilliant move but little did we know that he almost didn’t get the role. During his Happy Sad Confused podcast interview, Matthew McConaughey said he turned down the role of Joel in The Last of Us. 

His reasoning behind this decision was rather simple: it was not for him at the time. 

“I wasn’t really acting at that point,” McConaughey told podcast host Josh Horowitz. “That was when I was doing more writing and looking at leadership roles in life. It was really good. I was excited. Correct me if I’m wrong, I’m not a huge TV watcher, we pulled off a real coup with True Detective at a time when series were not something that actors like myself or Woody Harrelson would hop over and go do. That one succeeded in a real royal fashion. Last of Us was really good but it wasn’t for me at the time.” 

That’s a fair point. If someone wants to focus their creative talents on behind-the-scenes work, they probably wouldn’t want to take a leading role in an HBO series. This is especially true for something like The Last of Us, which has fervent fans and would require a ton of an actor’s time, at least a couple of years of their lives. 

YouTube/HBO Max Nerdist’s Take: Pedro Pascal Has the Perfect Offscreen Persona That Makes Him a Great Joel (No Offense to Matthew)

Matthew McConaughey is certainly far from the worst actor, and probably would have been good if he hadn’t turned down the role as Joel in The Last of Us. But there’s something so incredibly charming and vulnerable about Pedro Pascal both as a person and in this role. Either way, it is another interesting “What If?” for the entertainment world. 

The Last of Us is gearing up for season three, but you can always relive the first two seasons by streaming them on HBO Max. And, if you want to make sure that you truly have this gem of a series forever, you can own The Last of Us season two in 4K UHD.

Tai Gooden is the Features Editor for Nerdist, a fictional villain apologist, and a horror aficionado who is forever waiting for her trip in the TARDIS.This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!

The post Matthew McConaughey Turned Down Role as Joel in THE LAST OF US appeared first on Nerdist.

Anthropic researchers found AI agents can clash, collude and coordinate in unexpected ways, raising new questions about whether today’s safety tests capture the risks of multi-agent systems.

Dali Rajic will take over as OpenAI's top salesperson.

Ford expects to begin prototype builds of the Fathom EV in the first quarter of 2027.

⚡ Quick Take

• The X-Files creator Chris Carter thinks that Scully will be in Ryan Coogler’s reboot, but he is not reading the script on purpose.

As of now, we still don’t know much about Ryan Coogler’s The X-Files reboot besides a few cast members. Danielle Deadwyler and Himesh Patel will be its leads as two FBI agents who bond when they start working in a newly reopened division investigating weird things. Amy Magidan, Steve Buscemi, and Ben Foster, among others, will also be in this reboot. Many fans are speculating that Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny could appear as Mulder and Scully in Coogler’s The X-Files, too. One person who might truly know and isn’t actually confirming is the show’s creator Chris Carter. 

RELATED ARTICLE

Gillian Anderson Says THE X-FILES Reboot Script Is ‘Really Good’ Chris Carter Thinks Mulder and Scully Will Appear in Ryan Coogler’s X-Files 

When Polygon asked Carter about whether there would be a continuation of the OG series with Mulder and Scully, he said the following, “At least Gillian, I think, is going to appear in the Coogler version. And I’m assuming David will too, so you will see Mulder and Scully there.” 

He told the outlet that he does not know the details of the reboot, so this is not a confirmation of their return. However, considering that he’s the creator of this universe and knows both actors on a personal basis, he would know if they were in talks to return or not. It is probably not his business to tell, even if he does actually know more than he suggests. Even Gillian herself said that the script is “really good,” so she’s read it for some reason besides her own enjoyment, right?

Chris Carter Admits That He Hasn’t Read Ryan Coogler’s Script… And He Doesn’t Want To 20th Century

Carter reaffirmed in a recent interview with us at Nerdist that he has not read the script at all. “I’m very curious what Ryan Coogler is doing,” Carter told us. “My name is on the show, but I have not read the script by choice. I’m waiting to see. I want to be surprised. I want to watch that pilot episode like everyone else is watching it as a fan of the X-Files franchise.” Check out more of that interview in the link below:

RELATED ARTICLE

Chris Carter On Adding Horror Back to THE X-FILES Movie

Well, there you have it. We will just have to wait and see if Mulder or Scully appear in The X-Files reboot in some way, even if just for a very brief cameo.

Tai Gooden is the Features Editor for Nerdist, a fictional villain apologist, a total believer in paranormal phenomena, and a horror aficionado who is forever waiting for her trip in the TARDIS.

The post Chris Carter Thinks Scully Will Be in THE X-FILES Reboot (But Won’t Read Coogler’s Script) appeared first on Nerdist.

X is expanding the open source code behind its 'For You' feed and launching new transparency tools that show users when its ranking systems have affected their accounts or posts.

⚡ Quick Take

• Star Trek: Zero Point introduces us to the crew of the starship Endeavour, commanded by Captain Raffi Musiker from Star Trek: Picard.
• The series picks up five years after the events of the last season of Star Trek: Picard.
• Zero Point introduces an AI character who takes on the image of Lt. Uhura.
• Nerdist’s Take: Zero Point will give fans the post-Star Trek: Picard adventures they’ve been craving.

While the Enterprise is traditionally the flagship of the Federation, we all know Starfleet has many legendary vessels. Voyager, Defiant, and Discovery are all iconic names too. Now, for Star Trek‘s 60th anniversary, IDW Comics is exploring one of those ships in a new series. And it stars one of Star Trek: Picard’s breakout characters, Commander Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd). Only she’s no longer just a commander, she’s captain of the starship Endeavour. And in the new series Star Trek: Zero Point, by the creative team of Charlie Jane Anders, Isaac Sánchez González, and Jodie Troutman, we follow Captain Musiker as she takes her new starship on a special mission of the utmost importance to the Alpha Quadrant. You can check out several pages from Star Trek: Zero Point, along with multiple variant covers, down below:

Star Trek: Zero Point Click To View Gallery IDW/Paramount Paramount/IDW IDW/Paramount Paramount?IDW IDW/Paramount Paramount/IDW IDW/Paramount Paramount/IDW IDW/Paramount Paramount/IDW IDW/Paramount Paramount/IDW IDW/Paramount Paramount/IDW IDW/Paramount

In Zero Point, after five years at the side of Captain Seven of Nine on the Enterprise-G, as her first officer and as her wife, Raffi gets a command of her own, the U.S.S. Endeavour. And her new crew has a very dangerous (and secret) mission ahead of them. You can check out several pages from the first issue, which include none other than Voyager’s Admiral Janeway, and even a new artificial lifeform that’s a little bit of Data from The Next Generation and Lt. Uhura from the original series. Her name is Sybil, and she may already be the best Trek character of 2026. You can read the synopsis for Star Trek: Zero Point #1 down below:

IDW/Paramount

The tie-in series to Star Trek (2026) starts here! From Nebula and Hugo Award–winning writer
Charlie Jane Anders (New Mutants, Lessons in Magic and Disaster) and artist Isaac Sánchez
González (TMNT, Godzilla) comes an extremely CLASSIFIED mission. A starship graveyard on the moon. A captain haunted by failure. A mission that could change the future of the Federation…or end it entirely.

Raffi Musiker takes command of the U.S.S. Endeavour—and is immediately handed a classified
directive from Starfleet. Follow the guidance of a powerful, untested A.I., that can predict threats
before they happen. But these missions aren’t exploration—they’re a gamble. As systems fail, pressure mounts, and missions spiral out of control, Raffi must decide who to trust: her crew…or the machine guiding them. Because some discoveries are better left buried. And some warnings come too late.

Paramount/IDW

For Star Trek: Zero Point writer Charlie Jane Anders, a lifelong Trekker, getting to tell this story in the Trek galaxy has been a dream come true. Here’s what she had to say about shepherding this exciting new addition to Star Trek lore:

I’ve loved Star Trek my whole life, and I’ve been reading Star Trek comics forever. Somewhere
I have a compilation of the Gold Key comics that contains my childhood scribbles in the
margins. Star Trek: Zero Point is my tribute to decades of brilliant Trek storytelling — but it’s
also me trying to do things I’ve never seen a Trek comic do before. The format of Zero Point, in
which a friendly supercomputer predicts possible future threats and sends one starship to deal
with them, has turned out to be a great way to launch all kinds of different stories.

But it’s also provided a way to carry on a fun debate about how Starfleet should deal with the scary stuff on the horizon, the threats that lurk in the future. Is it better to be proactive to the point of paranoia,or to simply hope for the best? I’ve also been having a wonderful time writing the traumatized Raffi Musiker and the science-loving, idealistic D’Vana Tendi as captain and first officer. Their scenes together are always my favorite thing to write. All in all, I’ve been having a blast writing
this, and I am so overjoyed at how Isaac Sanchez Gonzalez’s art and Jodie Troutman’s lettering
have turned my weird ideas into a thing of beauty.

IDW has several Star Trek comics celebrating the franchise’s 60th anniversary, including Starfleet Academy and the upcoming Holo-Ween II Special. Star Trek: Zero Point #1 goes on sale October 14. Pre-orders are due September 7.

Eric Diaz is a staff writer at Nerdist, and a Swiss army knife of fandoms. Eric loves DC, Marvel, horror movies, and even Star Wars and Star Trek equally.

The post STAR TREK: ZERO POINT Warps Into the 25th Century (Exclusive Preview) appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Lanterns is DC Studios’ upcoming prestige TV adaptation of the Green Lantern comics. Here’s everything we know so far about the series.

James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU is officially off and running. And next up is Lanterns, a Green Lanterns series that follows “new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.”

With the release of Lanterns just around the corner, HBO Max has released the first five minutes of the series for your viewing pleasure. And yes, it features Hal Jordan in his Green Lantern suit. You can watch the beginning of Lanterns above.

HBO

What else can we expect from the show when it does premiere? Here’s everything we know so far about Lanterns.

Title

The title of the series is simply Lanterns. The green is implied, I guess.

DC Studios Lanterns Plot

In his initial video announcing the DC Studios slate, James Gunn described the show John Stewart and Hal Jordan investigating a “terrifying mystery” that has huge ties to the entire franchise. He likened the “Earthbound” story to True Detective.

Later descriptions include a fuller look at the plot. “Lanterns follows new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.” The series full trailer proved Gunn’s description was very accurate.

Behind the Scenes

Ozark showrunner and True Detective: Night Country producer Chris Mundy will serve as Lanterns‘ showrunner. Mundy along with comic writer Tom King (Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow) and Damon Lindelof (Lost, Watchmen) have written the series pilot and bible.

James Gunn and Peter Safran said of the announcement: “We’re thrilled to bring this seminal DC title to HBO with Chris, Damon and Tom at the helm. John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC’s most compelling characters, and Lanterns brings them to life in an original detective story that is a foundational part of the unified DCU we’re launching next summer with Superman.”

“When we first started the DCU, the first couple of weeks of heading this out, we got together with a group of writers, and Tom King was one of those writers, and we were in this room, and we came up with sort of this concept for Lanterns. It’s a much more it’s a very grounded series, a very real series, which is a strange thing to say about a Green Lanterns show. But it’s going to be something like nobody’s ever seen before.”

James Hawes, director of series like Doctor Who, Penny Dreadful, and Black Mirror, will direct the the first two episodes of Lanterns. He, along with the writers above, will serve as executive producers.

Lanterns‘ Cast John P. Johnson/HBO

The series will focus on the veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan working a case with rookie GL John Stewart. In order to play these roles, DC would need some heavy hitters. And heavy hitters they got! Kyle Chandler (Bloodline, Friday Night Lights) plays Hal Jordan.

NBC/DC Comics

To play the role of John Stewart, DC cast Aaron Pierre. Pierre had a big 2025 with both the Netflix thriller Rebel Ridge and as the titular voice in Disney’s not-live-action live action film Mufasa.

“Aaron Pierre is somebody who I’ve wanted to work together with for a long time,” said James Gunn during an NYCC panel. “People don’t know, but he was almost cast as Adam Warlock. He’s an amazing actor, and I just really admired him from the beginning of his career. Seeing him read with Kyle was one of those miraculous moments. I don’t care what they’re saying, I just love what they’re saying together.”

Max PR/Warner Bros Animation

Boardwalk Empire‘s Kelly Macdonald also joins Lanterns as “Sheriff Kerry, a no-nonsense woman deeply devoted to her family and close-knit town. Her resilience, shaped by a complex past that’s hardened her resolve, anchors her when the community’s secrets begin to surface.” According to Deadline, Kelly Macdonald’s character may also “be a potential love interest for Chandler’s Hal Jordan.” Very interesting.

Additionally, Jason Ritter joins Lanterns as Billy Macon. The official description for this character notes, “Billy Macon is a good-looking charmer who does his father’s bidding. Capitalizing on his family’s reputation, he clings to his small-town ego and has everything to lose.” Ulrich Thomsen will play villain Sinestro.

RELATED ARTICLE

LANTERNS Casts Sinestro, Danish Actor Ulrich Thomsen Will Play Iconic DC Villain

Finally, Deadline revealed that J. Alphonse Nicholson, known for his role on P-Valley, will have a recurring role as a younger John, Sr. in the series. Sherman Augustus will have a more regular role as the the current John, Sr.

Lanterns‘ Release Date

Lanterns will debut on August 16, just a month after Supergirl and a couple of months before Clayface.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

Originally published on December 30, 2024.

The post Watch the First 5 Minutes of LANTERNS appeared first on Nerdist.

The social media giant says it was time for a sharper and more modern look after a decade.

⚡ Quick Take

• An Achilles and Patroclus movie is in the works. This movie aims to adapt the iconic Greek myth in a way that focuses on the love story and characters.
• Achilles and Patroclus is an independent film and needs your support to become a reality. You can check out its Seed&Spark page to help it come to life.
• This will be the first short film in a larger anthology called Mount Pellion, which aims to adapt the myths that explore heroes before they become legends.
• More Mythology: If you’re in the mood for more myths, check out our deep dive into The Odyssey‘s Sinon.

It’s an exciting time for fans of Greek mythology. One of the world’s biggest movies, The Odyssey, is breaking records and captivating minds, bringing the ancient myths back into the pop-culture zeitgeist and reminding us why the stories themselves are immortal. The world of Greek myths has long captured the imagination of many, though. And while it’s wonderful to see one of these mythological Epics play out on our biggest screens, we still feel hungry to see different visions of these classic stories come to life. We crave these bedrocks of storytelling to be imagined through different lenses, not only to explore the spectacle of mythology, but also the nuanced characters and tangled stories of humanity it bring us. And let’s be honest, isn’t it time for a truly queer version of one of history’s gayest periods to splash onto our screens? We think it is, and so does the director/writer of Achilles and Patroclus, L.E. Woods. Achilles and Patroclus is the first in a collection of short movies dedicated to bringing myths to life intimately, romantically, and representatively. If this sounds exciting, you too can be a part of the creation process.

Mount Pelion Film

“Representation isn’t about rewriting history. It’s about allowing stories to reflect the complexity and humanity that has been there all along.” Says Woods, and I know I just felt a shiver of excitement run up my spine. The Achilles and Patroclus movie, Woods continues, “is inspired by the forgotten spaces [left behind by myths], imagining the lives that unfolded before history turned two young men into legends.”

And truly, isn’t it absolutely insane when you think about it that we haven’t ever received a cinematic version of the love story between Achilles and Patroclus? The pair are one of the most romantic duos ever to exist, have persisted through mythology and into pop culture, have existed in fiction for literal centuries, but have never ONCE been given a true love story we can see? Of course, we honor the work of The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. But just as far as an Achilles and Patroclus movie goes… This EPIC relationship has never received a true adaptation.

I mean, come on, Patroclus told Achilles, “Never bury my bones apart from yours, Achilles, let them lie together… just as we grew up together in your house.” They are the moment.

Table of contents

• What We Know About the Achilles and Patroclus Movie
• Make the Achilles and Patroclus Movie a Reality with Your Support
• Achilles and Patroclus Is Only the Beginning, Meet Mount Pelion

What We Know About the Achilles and Patroclus Movie

And now IS the time for an Achilles and Patroclus movie. The synopsis for this short film reveals, “Achilles and Patroclus is a fantasy coming-of-age drama inspired by the Epic Cycle, the lost collection of Ancient Greek Poems that expanded the world before Homer’s Iliad. Rather than focusing on the Trojan War, the short film explores the quiet moments that came before it, the friendship, first love, and destiny that shaped the mythology.”

We’re SOLD. Especially as we come to understand that this retelling will focus not on war, but on the time before legends are legends, when they are just two young people, reaching for one another, finding each other. Woods notes, “At a time when the world feels increasingly divided, the story of Achilles and Patroclus looks beyond war and heroism to reveal the quiet humanity behind one of mythology’s most enduring stories, reminding us that love has always been part of the legends we inherit.” Beautiful.

Make the Achilles and Patroclus Movie a Reality with Your Support

But to tell such a story is a work of independent filmmaking and passion. There’s a reason why we haven’t gotten an Achilles and Patroclus movie yet. And that means a little support is required. If you’re dying to see an Achilles and Patroclus movie come to life, please check out the film’s Seed&Spark crowdfunding page to help finance production.

Making a movie is no easy feat and if this is one movie you want to see, it’s a great time to support. Achilles and Patroclus will be heading to GREECE to film on-location, so you know it’s a serious project. Every contribution helps bring this story one step closer to the screen. 

As Woods notes, “Independent filmmaking has always been an act of community.” If you can, support yours today—whether that be with a donation or just spreading the word!

Bonus: If you’re in NYC and a supporter, you can join in on an epic day of CAPTURE THE FLAG: GREECE VS. TROY on Saturday, August 23.

Achilles and Patroclus Is Only the Beginning, Meet Mount Pelion

The tale of Achilles and Patroclus told in this short movie is only the beginning. Achilles and Patroclus is a proof of concept for Mount Pelion, an hour-long mythic anthology told through a collection of shorts. Set in Ancient Greece and inspired by the lost Epic Cycle, the series explores heroes before they became legends. It will have the heart of Black Mirror, the soul of The Twilight Zone, and the spirit of Love, Death + Robots. 

Mount Pelion Film

You see, before The Iliad and The Odyssey, there lived a body of interconnected myths known as The Epic Cycle, a collection of ancient stories that traced the lives of heroes before, during, and after the Trojan War. Unlike Homer’s surviving epics, much of the Epic Cycle has been lost to us, surviving only in fragments passed down through oral tradition. Mount Pelion “imagines these lost epics not as missing texts, but as living stories, kept alive through performance.”

In addition to a short movie about Achilles and Patroclus, the first cycle of Mount Pelion will depict the stories of Thetis and Peleus, Jason and the Argonauts, the Apple of Discord, and Chiron, the healer, and the Gift.

For our money, we NEED an Achilles and Patroclus movie like air. Let’s all help make this one a reality.

Rotem Rusak is the Editor-in-Chief at Nerdist. She is a great lover of the anti-hero and is always ready for a new ship to set sail. In her work, she likes to combine fandom passion with journalistic sensibilities. Follow her on Instagram.

The post ACHILLES AND PATROCLUS Movie in the Works (But It Needs YOU!) appeared first on Nerdist.

Microsoft is simplifying Copilot by combining its consumer and business apps, and dropping AI-generated podcasts, Group Chats, Deep Research, and its Mico character.

⚡ Quick Take

• American Horror Story’s clown heavy season 13 teaser trailer brings back big characters from previous seasons.
• Nerdist’s Take: The teaser doesn’t reveal much but returning faces are enough to make us want to watch, and we know what to rewatch to prepare!
• AHS: Season 13 has thirteen episodes that have an odd release schedule starting September 24.

American Horror Story built its anthology foundation upon a slate of solid and quite famous actors including Jessica Lange, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Sarah Paulson, and Emma Roberts. And for many seasons, the FX series has kept us enthralled with a whopping twelve chilling seasons since 2011. That feels like a miracle considering how many shows can barely make it past a couple of seasons these days. And American Horror Story isn’t done with us yet, as evidenced by its clown heavy season 13 teaser trailer that brings back the above famous faces and more. 

While recent seasons of AHS have garnered mixed reviews among critics and fans for good reason, this teaser feels like a return to the franchise’s peak glory days. We get to meet Twisty the Clown, played by John Carroll Lynch, and he’s kinda giving Pennywise a run for his money. There’s a ton of creepy imagery and a strong suggestion that this thirteenth season will have connections to favorites like Coven, Murder House, and Apocalypse. There are terrors awaiting us and, if the trailer for American Horror Story season 13 is any indication, this will be a great spooky season, indeed. 

Nerdist’s Take: The AHS Season 13 Teaser Trailer Doesn’t Show Much, But Tells Us What to Rewatch

Seeing Angela Bassett reprise her infamous role as Marie Laveau (Coven and Apocalypse) is enough to make us want to tune in. But, when you add in Emma Roberts as Madison Montgomery (Coven and Apocalypse), Jessica Lange’s Constance Langdon (Murder House and Apocalypse), Sarah Paulson as Cordelia Goode (Coven and Apocalypse), Evan Peters as Kai Anderson (Cult), Jamie Brewer as Addie Langdon (Murder House), and Mena Suvari as the Black Dahlia (Murder House and Apocalypse), that totally seals the deal. After 15 years, it feels like the optimal time to tie many previous seasons together and tip its hat towards the past.

It sounds like it is time to brush up on our AHS history and rewatch those key seasons!

The Release Date and Schedule for American Horror Story Season 13  FX/Hulu

AHS will drop the first three episodes of season 13 on September 24 on FX, Hulu, and Disney+. Unsurprisingly, there are thirteen episodes total. Three more will be released in week two, and then just two episodes each week until the finale on October 29. 

Tai Gooden is the Features Editor for Nerdist, a fictional villain apologist, and a horror aficionado who is forever waiting for her trip in the TARDIS. She is beyond ready to see Angela Bassett as the fantastic Marie Laveau once again!

The post AMERICAN HORROR STORY Season 13 Trailer Teases Clowns and Past Connections appeared first on Nerdist.

Nvidia has a plan to make sure its GPUs won't lose value. It wants to convince a new crop of financiers to keep lending for AI buildouts.

Bartesian's cocktail makers would be best described like a Keurig or Nespresso machine, but for alcoholic drinks.

The tech giant has considered a nine-figure budget for the payments, according to the WSJ.

⚡ Quick Take

• Nerdist spoke with The X-Files creator Chris Carter about The X-Files: I Want to Believe – Vrach Frankenshteyn.
• The writer-director explained having an idea for a really scary episode he was never able to realize on screen.
• Carter says the original movie ended up focusing more on Scully and Mulder’s romantic relationship.
• On Ryan Coogler’s remake, Carter says “I’m very curious what he’s doing. I want to be surprised.”

Six years after the culmination of the mammoth nine-year phenomenon that was The X-Files, its creator, Chris Carter, had more to say. He still had an idea for a new case for FBI Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, but, as it turned out, that idea was darker and less PG-13-friendly than 20th Century Fox wanted at the time. The result, 2008’s The X-Files: I Want to Believe, is not the movie Carter first had. Now, two reboot seasons and almost 20 years later, Carter got a chance to revisit his imperfect creation. The new cut, fittingly entitled The X-Files: I Want to Believe – Vrach Frankenshteyn, will debut on Hulu August 14.

Nerdist got a chance to speak to Carter about unearthing this new version, what he changed to make it, and why he’s looking forward to Ryan Coogler’s reboot.

20th Century

Nerdist: I had read that you had been thinking about this cut of this movie for a while, but what was it about now that you thought was the right time to revisit it?

Chris Carter: It really came as an opportunity just presented itself. I was talking to the guy who runs the movie division at 20th Century Fox, and just on a whim I said, “Would you ever consider doing a director’s cut of I Want to Believe?” And he jumped. At first I thought, “Nah, they don’t want to spend any money.” I thought they were not going to be behind this, that it was a good idea, but nothing that would ever come to light. And sure enough, they gave us room, they gave us backing, they gave us their blessings, and we got to do the cut that we really wanted to do.

This isn’t simply a case of adding more footage. It is a different cut entirely. What was the process of revisiting it and figuring out how the new footage would be integrated in and what the new cut would look like?

Let me go back just a little bit. The original idea came from something I read, about a doctor who had transplanted the head of a monkey onto another monkey successfully. And I said, “This is X-Files territory. It’s got X-Files written all over it.” And I actually flew out to Cleveland, Ohio to meet this doctor. We sat at a bar and he explained to me how you transplant the head of a monkey onto another body and wonderful.

So, we, Frank Spotnitz and I, set out to do a story, a Frankenstein story as an X-Files. And I always felt that that story got buried under the weight of some other stories that felt that they stole [focus]. And by that I mean that the studio, I originally showed it to the studio executives when we made the movie in 2007, 2008, and I showed them a cut and the lights went up in the screening room and they were outraged. They said, “This is not the PG-13 movie promised us.”

20th Century

Anyway, so we had to cut it back to what they accepted. Then we had to cut it back even further for the ratings folks. I always felt that what happened is it became a kind of Mulder/Scully romance relationship movie, and it wasn’t a good scary X-Files story. And so now we have taken the weight off of the one thing and put it on the right thing. To do that, we took seven minutes out.

Also, during the time between then and now, there have been two X-Files reboot seasons. So I felt that the audience had gotten a lot of the Mulder and Scully relationship in those reboots.

It’s interesting watching it because I kind of expected it to be gorrier, if you know what I mean. By today’s standards, it really feels like it could have passed for a PG-13 and been fine.

I completely agree with you. I’ve added this title, Vrach Frankenshteyn, to the movie because my feeling. We always set out to do a Frankenstein movie, but the audience by and large didn’t know that because it’s only touched on at the very end of the movie when Mulder’s pinning up a newspaper clipping. So, when you know the sequence where the search party is with Father Joe and they dig up that arm in the snow, it doesn’t quite make sense. It’s like it is more of a confusing element than an intriguing element. And I wanted people to know this is a Frankenstein story from the get-go.

Hulu

Throughout the show, you’ve done a few kind of Frankenstein riffs. Is that a favorite story of yours?

I love the Frankenstein story. I love the idea of breathing life into a new being and the idea in this case, if your head is put on another body, are you that new person? Are you the person whose head you the body? I just love this idea. I’m certain down the line we are going to say this is not science fiction anymore, that this is going to be medical science that a head can be transplanted onto another body. This may be the key, in fact, to everlasting life when you can transplant the head of someone onto a young body.

Given the kind of streaming landscape and how much kind of content that you can get away with now versus when you were making the show back in the ’90s, do you see episodes where you would’ve pushed the envelope even more now?

Well, it’s interesting because, the television censors were more permissive than the movie censors. I could have told a scarier story on network television than I was allowed to tell for the big screen to get that PG-13 rating, which is so ironic. I just wanted to tell a really good, scary X-Files story.

20th Century

The X-Files is coming back, obviously, with Ryan Coogler. Do you think that there’s a future forever for The X-Files? Is there something kind of intrinsic to humanity that will always want to visit the X-Files?

Because it’s a show about science as it pertains to science fiction, I think that there’s always interesting territory in which to explore the intersection of Mulder and Scully’s belief systems. I’m very curious what Ryan Coogler is doing. My name is on the show, but I have not read the script by choice. I’m waiting to see. I want to be surprised. I want to watch that pilot episode like everyone else is watching it as a fan of the X-Files franchise.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.

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