Why is X-Files 2 Taking so Long to Make?

Even before "The X-Files: Fight the Future" was made, the heads of Ten Thirteen Productions, Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz were talking about making a series of X-Files movies. After the success of "Fight the Future", talks of making a movie series have sped up.

Now that the TV show has ended, making the movie series is much more feasible. The cast and crew won't have to work year-round, there won't be so many problems with time constraints and people spreading themselves out too thin, and most of the crew was used to making what amounts to a movie every week. So making the second movie won't be nearly as hard as making the first one, which was made while the show was on the air and both the series and the movie were being made at once. It will especially be easiest on Chris Carter who not only had to handle the X-Files TV show and the movie, But also had to handle the series "Millennium"

There's also the fact that most X-Philes (the die-hard fans of the show) want another movie, as well as some of the more casual viewers.

So why don't we already have an X-Files 2 on the shelves in the video stores and a third in the works? Why are we still waiting on X-Files 2 to start being made?

Apparently, Chris Carter and Fox studios have been in a lawsuit over how much Ten Thirteen makes in syndication profits. This battle has been going on since at least 2004.

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson (Mulder and Scully) have said for years that they were definitely on board with the movies as long as people wanted them.

In 2005, Frank Spotnitz gave an interview in which he stated that they were giving serious consideration to making the movie series revolve around Agents Doggett and Rheas (who were introduced to the series in the 8th season), because the TV series revolved around Mulder and Scully. Fans Quickly vetoed the idea, saying that Agent Doggett and Rheas weren't nearly as liked as Mulder and Scully.

Late in 2005, the creators said that there was no script yet, but that the basic story had been formed. The plot of the movie would have nothing to do with the mythology of the show, and it would revolve around Mulder and Scully. This press release said the the movie was expected sometime in the Summer of '07.

In 2006, Gillian Anderson said on her website that she wanted to do the movie, but feared that by the time they actually got to it, no one would want it anymore.

The battle with Fox over syndication was still going on.

In 2006, an on-line petition came out, trying to get Fox Studios to give up and let the movie be made. If you look at the petition, You will find my name on it (I think that I am in the 3600 page. I can not remember the actual number.).

Maybe this petition actually worked, at least some, because in March 2007, it was announced by Frank Spotnitz that negotiations over syndication were over. The contract for X-Files 2 was signed.

In the same interview with Frank Spotnitz, he confirmed that the story was going to be a MOTW (monster of the week) story, with no ties to the Mythology and that Mulder and Scully would be at the center. The story would take place 5 years after Mulder's escape from the base where he was sentenced to die (long story, watch the episode entitled "the Truth"). That was all he was allowed to tell about the script.

Fans are wondering, since the finale said that colonization would happen in the year 2012, how can they have a Monster of the Week movie so close to the date of colonization?

We will find out in about a year's time, because the X-File 2 is scheduled to be out in the Summer of 2008.