Creator Chris Carter recently discussed his opportunity to revisit his 2008 film “The X-Files: I Want to Believe” in a new interview on the Daily Variety podcast. The revised cut, titled “The X-Files: I Wanted to Believe: Vrach Frankenshteyn,” became available on Hulu and Disney+ outside the United States on August 14. Carter spoke with Variety’s Michael Schneider about how this director’s cut came to fruition.
According to Carter, the genesis of the project was relatively spontaneous. When discussing the film with 20th Century Studios executive Steve Asbell, Carter casually asked if a director’s cut had ever been considered. Asbell’s positive response led Carter to express his interest in creating one. Notably, Carter’s revised version runs shorter than the original theatrical release, which clocked in at 144 minutes, as he focused on restoring specific material rather than simply adding back everything that had been cut.
Carter explained that the original 2008 release faced significant studio pressure to achieve a PG-13 rating. The studio deemed the initial cut too intense for that rating, forcing multiple rounds of trimming. Carter noted that he and writer-producer Frank Spotnitz had always intended to craft a frightening film with limited resources, mirroring how they created the original television series. The director’s cut now better reflects their original creative vision.
Originally reported by Variety →
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