Behind-The-Scenes Scandal That Made David Duchovny Leave The X-Files
30 years ago, the cult science fiction series The X-Files premiered, and for nine years, agents Mulder and Scully were favorite characters for conspiracy theorists.
The X-Files has had a huge impact on pop culture, and to this day people know the names of agents Mulder and Scully, and actors David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson have become worldwide stars thanks to the show.
The choice of Duchovny for the role was a surprise for many. During the first season, both critics and viewers perceived Mulder as a polar opposite to Bryson from Twin Peaks, also played by Duchovny.
But creator of the show Chris Carter believed in David, and his bet paid off. Today the actor is strongly associated with Mulder.
However, despite the success of the show, which brought the actors stunning fame, Duchovny left the project at the end of the seventh season, which shocked fans.
The actor's contract expired shortly after the seventh season and he decided not to renew it. Moreover, the actor accused 20th Century Fox of cheating him out of millions of dollars in profits from the distribution of The X-Files.
In 1999, during the show's seventh season, Duchovny filed a lawsuit against Fox, claiming he was a victim of "corporate synergy."
He claimed that the company deliberately underpriced the rights and reruns of the show to cable networks and book publisher HarperCollins, thereby reducing his royalties.
Duchovny and Fox eventually reached an out-of-court settlement in 2000.
13 years later, the producers tried to revive the project, and in January 2016, the tenth season of The X-Files was released with Mulder apparently forgetting all the insults and joining Scully.
However, the feeling of nostalgia did not last long – if the first episode was watched by 16 million people, then the final sixth episode – by only 7.6 million.
Two years later, the 11th season was released, consisting of ten episodes. But its performance was very low, and the studio decided to close the project.
Recently, however, The X-Files creator Chris Carter hinted at the return of the cult series with "a diverse cast."
Ryan Coogler, best known for writing and directing the biographical drama Fruitvale Station and Marvel's Black Panther, could be the creator of the new project, according to the director.