Gillian Anderson, David Duchovny Sign on for X-Files 2 Movie

It has been almost a decade since the much anticipated, first X Files movie hit the big screen. Since 1998, devoted fans of the cult series have eagerly awaited a sequel. Duchovny and Anderson finally confirm it: the wait is over.

The X-Files sequel, X-Files 2, is slated for release July 25th, 2008. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson will reprise their roles as FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. X-Files creator, Chris Carter, who co-wrote the script with Frank Spotnitz, will direct.

For fans, the release comes after years of being teased again and again. Since 2005, when Duchovny speculated that production for X-Files 2 would begin that year, there has been an on again/off again theme. By July of 2007, however, both Anderson and Duchovny confirmed that a script was underway. By September, Duchovny and Anderson had received their scripts. On October 29th, reports speculated that X-Files 2 would begin filming in December 2007 in Vancouver.

The plot is on lockdown for the moment. Says the studio, "the supernatural thriller is a stand-alone story in the tradition of some of the show's most acclaimed and beloved episodes, and takes the always-complicated relationship between Fox Mulder (Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Anderson) in unexpected directions."

Elusive? Should you expect anything else from the folks behind X-files, a show about 2 FBI agents tasked to investigate the x-files, cases involving the supernatural?

X-Files first aired in 1993. From the beginning, it commanded a huge following. Conspiracy theories, government corruption and extraterrestrials were the key ingredients within X-Files. These are and remain popular topics for the American people, so in many ways, X-Files was an easy sell. With the inclusion of 2 incredibly diverse main characters (Scully as the skeptic, Mulder as the believer) with a very dynamic relationship, X-Files was sure to be an instant hit.

The show spanned nearly a decade. In 2002, when the show ended, X-Files held the title of being the longest running sci-fi show ever. X-Files has since received a type of cult status. Fans adore Anderson and Duchovny.

Rental sales should shoot through the roof for the original X-Files movie this holiday season. Even the most devoted fan can get a little hazy after a decade. Many will want to revisit where they last left off. Then they will spend the next 6 agonizing months waiting for what will likely be the biggest blockbuster of 2008.

The countdown finally begins for X-Files 2.