FrankSpotnitz Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Silly us X-Files fans trying to rationalize why The X-Files: I Want to Believe crashed and burned so badly this summer. It was too thoughtful! Too character-driven! Too focused on giving fans emotional closure, and not enough on slam-bang summer excitement! Long-time franchise producer Frank Spotnitz has a much easier and quicker answer: It was The Dark Knight's fault.

His theory goes thus: The X-Files opened a week after The Dark Knight broke all sorts of records and began its domination of the summer box office. What's more, the dark and brooding film was similar in tone to the caped juggernaut, and not the sort of counterprogramming that might nonetheless have had a chance in its wake. And so you get $21 million domestic.

Look, I'm probably as big a fan of I Want to Believe as you'll find around these parts; for fans of the show it was a lovely, moving conclusion. For fans of the show. The commercial problem with the film wasn't that it was too dark or that it followed The Dark Knight, but that it was too small, and its appeal too narrow. A bigger, flashier X-Files, with more explosions and flying saucers, would have done better, Batman notwithstanding. As it stood, people who didn't grow up on Mulder and Scully didn't see a reason to go. And -- speaking, again, as someone who loves the film -- they probably made the right choice. There wasn't much there for them.

Oh, and as to the possibility of another film that Spotnitz vaguely suggests: no thank you. This was a graceful, satisfying finale.

[via Movie City News]

The X-Files: I Want to Believe offers the viewer many mysteries to contemplate -- and only one of them is on-screen; as David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson return to roles and a franchise that last graced our TV screens in 2002 (and was last on the big screen in 1998), your mind swirls around the behind-the-scenes facts as fiercely as it does around the events playing out before your eyes. As reclusive, retired ex-FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully (Duchovny and Anderson) help the FBI with an abduction case, you're not following the plot as such; instead, you're thinking things like Hey, didn't this show get canceled six years ago? Haven't Duchovny and Chris Carter, the star and director of this film, both sued the studio behind it? Who, out in the movie going audience, is really clamoring for this movie? If you're an X-Files fan, is this film's freestanding creepy tale, with no link to the weird and convoluted mythos Carter came up with for the show, going to satisfy whatever itch you may still have for the franchise? And if you're not an X-Files fan, is the idea that this film stands alone enough reason to come to the franchise now?

The Hollywood Reporter announced that Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly, and Xzibit have all joined the cast of X-Files 2. Details are pretty sketchy as to who Scottish comedian Connolly will play, but THR did confirm that Xzibit (the 'Pimper of Rides') and Peet would be playing fellow FBI agents alongside our friends Mulder and Scully (David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson). Peet has just signed to star in the drama, Real Men Cry with Mark Ruffalo, but it looks like X-Files might come first now that the production looks to be ready to go. Xzibit had also originally been signed to star in Oliver Stone's Pinkville, but when that film was stalled because of the writer's strike, I guess it freed up some time in the rapper/actor/TV host's schedule.

I'd be willing to guess that most fans of the show were pretty surprised when word of a sequel started making the rounds again. When official word finally hit, the fan in me was thrilled and a little curious as to how they were going to make a stand-alone story. Luckily, Chris Carter and series vet Frank Spotnitz wrote the screenplay. Filming is set to begin in Vancouver later this month, and the production is also currently casting in Canada. Although, there is still no confirmation on whether Lance Henriksen (Frank Black in Carter's other series; Millenium) will be making an appearance.

Just last week, Christopher brought us some script details that had been leaked. But, some of the details were later discounted by Carter, who said that he was using old character and plot to try and keep his casting process as secret as possible up until the last minute. I hope all the secrecy is worth it, because I can't see the addition of Xzibit and Billy Connolly as something worth this much security. X-Files 2 is set for release on July 25th, 2008.

When The X-Files premiered on the fledgling Fox network on September 10, 1993 (remember that far back?), it became a very successful award-winning phenomenon that lasted for eight seasons. And even though the show's popularity wained somewhat in later seasons, it was still given the big-budget Hollywood treatment in 1998 with a theatrical version called The X Files: Fight the Future. The film performed well enough at the box office and on DVD so it followed that another chapter in the cinematic exploits of FBI Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully would happen soon enough.

Well, that day never came -- at least so far. Although, there have always been rumors and reports during the intervening years. But now, according to former series Executive Producer Frank Spotnitz, we might not have to wait forever for the next chapter after all. Over at Wired, they've posted some juicy bits from the man about a proposed sequel. According to Spotnitz: "A sequel is in development and a script is in the works." That also jives with what I heard on NPR Wednesday during an interview with David Duchovny on Elvis Mitchell's show The Treatment.

When asked by Mitchell about the future of The X-Files, Duchovny said he would take part in another movie and that one was in the works. Although, he has said that in the past, this time, with the added info provided by Spotnitz, it might not be just wishful thinking or speculation, but actual fact. I was a huge fan of the original TV show and enjoyed the first feature film incarnation immensely, so I hope whatever has to happen to see another chapter materialize actually happens. Most everyone involved seems pretty motivated for another go-around and keeps talking about it so it shouldn't be that hard to get it together, should it? Or maybe I'm the only one really interested in more X-Files?

I have never seen an episode of The X-Files. I know. Shocking, right? It's been sitting in my Netflix queue for two years, but has never claimed the coveted top seat. I did see the movie, but all I really remember about it is that the Foo Fighters had a great song on the soundtrack and that I had no idea what the hell was going on. I saw it with a friend and there was a lot of me being the "Why did they just do that?" guy that audiences everywhere despise. Today's news has convinced me to try and catch up on the series, otherwise there will be more confusion in my future. David Duchovny has officially confirmed that a sequel to The X-Files movie is in the works, and that Gillian Anderson is on board as well. X-Files creator Chris Carter and writer Frank Spotnitz are working on a script for X-Files 2. X-citing news for you fans, eh? X-traordinary even! X-cellent! Alright, I'm done.

Duchovny reports: "This week, they're starting some kind of road towards doing it (the film). Gillian and I both want to be in it now. We're happy to do it. At this point all of the kind of fatigue and anxiety that we had towards the end of a nine-year run is gone." He jokes, "We've forgotten why we hate one another and can only remember why we love one another and we're very happy to go back. Chris and Frank are going over the story. It's a story they've had for a few years but we haven't all settled on the fact that we wanted to do it, so now they're hammering it out." Previously on Cinematical, we told you the sequel would not pick up where the last film left off or involve an alien conspiracy. Instead, it is expected to be a supernatural horror film. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm heading over to Netflix. I've got about 200 hours of television to catch up on.

Crazy, crazy Frank Spotnitz is putting his brilliant mind to work again, once more setting his pen to the X-Files universe. According to Spotnitz, who has done rather extensive work with the Files, plans are indeed in place for a new X-Files film. Should this sucker ever get off the ground, it would not focus on the massive alien cover-up story, but would rather act as something akin to an extra-long stand-alone episode. Spotnitz says the people over at Fox are interested in the idea, as are the principle cast members and creator Chris Carter -- but currently some sort of "legal issues" have the project on hold. Spotnitz hopes to see these issues resolve soon, however.

So, X-Files fans, what do you think of this? Is a potential return to the universe exciting, or would you rather it just be left as it is at this point? I think the concept of keeping a new movie separate from any major theme of the show could allow for non-regular viewers such as myself to catch the flick and enjoy it without feeling like we were missing too much because of ignorance of things past. So long as they've got all the necessary people involved, it seems to me it could be a rather decent idea.