Movie News
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on April 16, 2008
I don’t really want to believe that something as cool as the upcoming X-Files sequel has a title such as The X-Files: I Want to Believe, but alas it is true. At least, it is true if you believe the words of series creator and movie writer/director Chris Carter. Carter told the Associated Press today that the second go-round of Mulder and Scully would have the aforementioned title.
Commenting on the title, Carter said: “”It’s a natural title. It’s a story that involves the difficulties in mediating faith and science. `I Want to Believe.’ It really does suggest Mulder’s struggle with his faith.”
As well, the story from AP writer David Germain states that this second X-Files film will be a stand-alone, earth-bound story that will be inviting to both die hard fans and newcomers alike:
“It has struck me over the last several years talking to college-age kids that a lot of them really don’t know the show or haven’t seen it,” Carter said. “If you’re 20 years old now, the show started when you were 4. It was probably too scary for you or your parents wouldn’t let you watch it. So there’s a whole new audience that might have liked the show. This was made to, I would call it, satisfy everyone.”
Hardcore fans need not worry that the movie will be going back to square one, though, Carter said. The movie will be true to the spirit of the show and everything Mulder and Scully went through, he said.
“The reason we’re even making the movie is for the rabid fans, so we don’t want to insult them by having to take them back through the concept again,” Carter said.
So I suppose, with all of that said, that this is the point where all of you hardcore X-Files fans out there get to weigh in on this new title. Personally, as someone who stands 50-feet away from the series (having never really gotten into it), I think that the title seems silly at first glance. But after reading the explanitory quotes from Chris Carter, it makes a little bit more sense. However, even though it makes sense, that doesn’t mean that it is marketable. But who knows, its marketability is really up to you, the fans.
So what do you think?
Read more articles by Neil Miller
29 Comments
April 16th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
I’ve never been a huge X-Files fan (I was a teen when it was on TV), but I liked the first movie, and some of the random episodes I saw during its run. all the little nods to the audience in the first film (like the Lone Gunman cameo), really didn’t tickle me too much if I were a major fan of the series. So I guess if they decide to just touch on stuff from the series and the movie, that’s fine with me. Makes it less conveluted. That said, I’m interested in seeing where this sequel goes. I’ll be in line for a ticket.
But I’d KILL for a Millenium movie.
April 16th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Millenium that was a great show, didnt chris carter also have a show called Brimstone, with John Glover (Lionel Luthor of Smallville) as the devil.
April 16th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
I was a small kid when X-files was on, i always got scared, but would love if it returned with a modern twist
April 16th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
The title does seem a little lame, but the die hard fan in me loved the series and the first movie…all the twists and plots………..i’ve been hungry for some good stuff for years, hopefully i’m not disappointed. I’ll efinitely be in line for a ticket. Millenium was a great show too..miss that one also……
April 17th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
carter sold out and didn’t wanna go the whole global elite kabal route probably because
they got to him ;)
i’m gonna go see it, but if it’s shit, then fuck carter!
April 17th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
it is named after the text in the UFO poster that Mulder always had in his office, a symbolic
staple of the persona of the characters as they developed in the show.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
“The only woman I ever cared about who wasn’t computer-generated or a fictional FBI agent has just told me she wants to get back together with me.”
April 17th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
As a die-hard X-Files fan, I can understand where the title comes from, but without knowing the script of the film, it seems rather lack-lustre. As for ‘Mulder’s struggle with his faith’ that has always been a tenet of the show; Scully is the scientific (yet religious) one, Mulder is the ’spooky’ (and non-religious) one. If Chris Carter tries to swap their rolls (in terms of religion) new-comers may take interest, but I know die-hards like myself will see it as a jarring deviation from the vein of the X-Files. Obviously, ‘faith’ could mean ‘faith in the existence of extraterrestrials’ which has been covered within the show many times.
I am most looking forward to finding out about Scully’s child, the destiny of which was left undisclosed at the end of the series. As for the ‘conspiracy’ threads within the show, I believe they were mostly tied up at the end of the series with the death of C.G.B.S. Obviously the film will contain a new antagonist, but the character may seem superficial when compared to The Smoking Man.
And, just to note, I am 22 and have been a fan since the show originally aired. I didn’t get into it until season 4, but I’ve followed it since. I am currently working my way through the recently released series box set.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
John Glover…God he was sexy back in his prime..(Scrooged-Gremlins 2- Tales From The
Crypt-)…And that voice…Mmmmm…he did cartoon voices too…no surprise. I’d still do him.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
“I Want To Believe.” As in, I want to belive this movie will be a success, I want to believe anyone associated with the X-Files will have a career again…
The title is stupid. The movie will be stupid. The last couple seasons of the show were stupid. And I was a fan of that mess, too. CC missed his chance to do movies when he made season three of Millennium and not a Millennium movie. (That series was far superior to the XF, btw.)
The XF is not a franchise. It’s time has passed.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
I’m 24 and I’ve been a fan since the beginning (though when DD left, my dedication got kinda spotty). I’m even the proud owner of a “I want to believe” keychain.
My first reaction to the title? Anticlimactic. I mean, anyone who’s watched a couple of episodes coulda come up with that. I think they should have gone with something more simple, understated, and less … lame.
could have been worse though…. “X-files: i STILL want to believe”
April 17th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
“Mulder’s struggle with his faith’ that has always been a tenet of the show; Scully is the scientific (yet religious) one, Mulder is the ’spooky’ (and non-religious) one.”
Keep in mind though, this theme still rings true for Mulder. In the show’s beginnings, before he had experiened concrete proof of extraterrestrial life, Mulder’s belief was based on faith: a distant, hazy memory from his childhood.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
I can’t say I really care about the title either way (though I have to believe they could have come up with something better). I’m a huge fan, have been since day 1. I agree that the last couple of seasons were lacking compared to seasons 1-6 but any opportunity to bring Scully back to life is an opportunity that should be seized. A more brilliant female protaganist there has never been. I’ve been waiting for this movie since the end of the series and will definitely be going to see it opening weekend.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
If I can remember properly, wasn’t there a poster on the wall of Scully’s office of a UFO and in big bold letters I WANT TO BELIEVE. That’s what came to my mind when I first heard the title, but haven’t seen the show in years. Anyone else remember that?
April 17th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
No… that was Mulder’s office. It had a UFO on it? He wanted to believe in extraterrestrials. Remember? It’s what the show was based off of?
April 17th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Yikes.. if you don’t get the title, you were a faux fan at best.
April 17th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
I want to believe this title isn’t lame, but can’t.
April 17th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
I was a kid when the show first started, now I really love the show! Haha I am watching it now actually. Anyways, decent title and anyone who has ever watched the show would understand the title from the poster.
April 17th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
as someone who LOVED the seriesup till season 6, thought season 7-9 weren’t too bad,
but hated the series finale and first movie, I don’t care if they call it X-Files the fight to get
my FBI health care benefits, I jsut want a decent script. and of course directing and acting
too, although I usually don’t have much to worry about there.
April 17th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
I have to admit that i am really looking forward to this movie, the series was tied as my favorite (Babylon 5 being the other one) during my late high school and through my college years. And i still firmly think that it should have ended around season 7.
I thought that the first movie was good but not great; and i watched the series finale without even knowing what had happened during the last two seasons and i felt like i hadn’t missed anything, which just proves my point of stretching the show way too long.
Heres hoping to a good script that actually makes sense.
April 17th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
For you youngins, I’ll explain the show. When aliens come from the left, Scully is looking to the right. When they come from above, she’s tying her shoes. When they come from below, she’s watching the sky. When they come from all directions, she gets knocked unconscious. Moulder and the audience see everything. No one believes Moulder. If you don’t handle frustration well, you will throw your TV out the window.
April 17th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
I can’t predict what Chris Carter may have in mind this many years down the road. I’d like to think its evolved. Perhaps to the point where this is where Mulder is searching for a real ‘Life’.. and wants to believe in all the things about humanity he took for granted or didn’t pay attention too. I think a single father or divorced person dealing with the real world has it pretty tough.. but what does he do when unlike us ‘lucky’ ones he’s actually aware and constantly distracted by the ‘Truth’ its no longer just ‘Out There’ it’s ‘In here’ now. I gotta think Mulder would end up sorta like one of the Lone Gunmen and have to choose between a family life.. or ? What also makes it interesting is Scully has ‘been there done that’ but she chose not to leave it all behind.. he did.. what if he’s trying to just Believe in leading a normal life? How do you recover your innocence.. or willfull ignorance and lead a normal life. Given that every parent trys to protect their children until pretty much the second decade of their life.. as a parent wouldn’t Mulder want to do that with his son? And then there’s super crusader Mommy.
April 18th, 2008 at 3:57 am
The real problem was Fox. The original movie (also with a terrible title “Fight the Future”) was supposed to be the end of the series until Fox decided that it would leave too big of a hole in their lineup.
April 18th, 2008 at 10:46 am
I’m not a fan of the title, it is very bland. But as long as that isn’t true of the new sequel… but I am doubtful, the series is so successful it is a cash cow.
April 18th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
From what I understand (probably from rumors), this is not to be a continuation of the series from the finale, but rather a “monster-of-the-week” from sometime around the 6th-7th season.
The point is, Scully will not have had a child.
I can dig the title, though - it was the primary axiom of the the show’s concept, that Mulder often believes in the paranormal without solid evidence, and Scully refuses to believe in the paranormal unless there is undeniable evidence. Conversely, Scully believes in God and her faith, while Mulder never got any “warm fuzzies” from mainstream religion and hence never accepted it.
Cheesy, yes, but hey, it’s a show for nerds, by nerds, about nerds. I like it.
April 18th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
I devoted 9 years of my life to watching that show. Carter still has a nutshot waiting for him for that sucker punch of a series finale’ he created from every devoted fan who watched it.
I loved the first movie. But between that and the series, we were on the brink of an invasion by aliens that few knew about. From what this sounds like he’s just randomly placing two beloved characters into a situation that has nothing to do with where either the series or movie left us. So why bother digging this stuff up again six years later? Why not just make an entirely new movie or series?
Xfiles fans want to know what happens next. Do we get invaded? Do we fight the aliens off? Did the whole alien invasion thing turn out to be a cover story? Is Cancerman really dead ( considering he got hit by a missile I hope so ). So Mulder and Skully hump like wild monkeys while the alien drop pods are falling?
What we don’t want is some random story full of random BS that sorta kinda ties into the original show. I don’t care if Chris wants to bring in new fans or not. WE are the people that made him millions over the nine years that show was on. We were the ones who stuck by him when he decided to cast the T1000 and some random pseudo-psychic chick to be cardboard cutouts in place of Mulder and Skully. We were the ones that sat and watched while he tossed retarded monster-of-the-week plots at us just waiting for a taste of the real story.
He owes us.
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:43 pm
I LOVE it how people are judging the movie before having seen it yet.
SpeaKs volumes.God you x files fans are a bunch of whiny *****.
As for me? I was only six when the x files first aired in the UK, but I have fond memories of watching it with my dad…so I shall be seeing this movie,looking foward to it, even if you ‘fans’ aren’t
May 5th, 2008 at 10:21 am
Are the original actors going to be in this? I bet it would be a bigger hit if they continued the serious. Bad– taking a step like sex and the city and making a movie several years later.
May 21st, 2008 at 9:01 pm
i am an occasional fan of the x-files, mostly in its last season and since the first movie debut. i am 20 years old and would say im a nerd. most nerds wouldnt think i am, however.
chris carter has proven he can pique interest in almost any audience and i have faith that he will nail this next movie without hesitation.
its been SUCH a long time, so new audiences wouldnt compare xfiles to starwars anymore, maybe xfiles = horror film. and everybody watches horrofilms, yes?