Chris Carter's long-awaited director's cut of The X-Files: I Want to Believe is finally being released. The version, titled The X-Files: I Want to Believe — Vrach Frankenshteyn, will premiere on August 14 on Disney+ and Hulu, nearly two decades after the original film debuted.
The release arrives as Hulu is also developing a reboot of the franchise from filmmaker Ryan Coogler, whose take has generated anticipation from Carter. The creator and filmmaker discussed his director's cut, the upcoming reboot, and recent congressional hearings about UFOs in interviews about the release.
The original The X-Files: I Want to Believe was released in 2008 as a standalone story following the beloved TV series. Carter has said he intended a different version of the film, and this cut represents that original vision. The title includes a Russian subtitle, fitting the film's plot involving a Russian connection.
Streaming subscribers on both Disney+ and Hulu will gain access to the director's cut on the same day. The reboot by Coogler, known for his work on Creed and Black Panther, is still in development, and no release date has been announced.
The UFO hearings in Congress have brought renewed attention to the kind of paranormal themes The X-Files popularized, and Carter has weighed in on those proceedings as his original work returns to the screen.