David Duchovny And Gillian Anderson Officially Return To ‘The X-Files’ (Via An Audiobook)

Even since The X-Files revival ended on such a dour note last year, Fox has been teasing a second return. While many of these hints have suggested the second batch of new episodes would eclipse the first’s six in number, however, the show’s timetable remains in flux. Why Because David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson and Chris Carter — not to mention the rest of the show’s cast and crew — remain quite busy with various other projects.

Among them: The X-Files: Cold Cases, a new audiobook adventure announced by Audible that serves as a prequel of sorts to the recent revival:

Set after the events of The X-Files: I Want to Believe and providing additional backstory to the incidents that pulled Mulder and Scully out of reclusion prior to 2016’s miniseries revival, a database breach at FBI headquarters allows an unknown group to access and capitalize on those investigations left unsolved – dubbed cold cases – by the secret department once known as The X-Files. As friends and foes of the agency long thought gone begin to inexplicably reappear, former agents Mulder and Scully come out of anonymity to face a growing conspiracy that involves not only their former department but the US government and forces not of this world.

Based on The X-Files graphic novel series penned by Joe Harris, who collaborated with Carter on Cold Cases, the new audiobook will feature “a mind-blowing and otherworldly soundscape of liquefying aliens, hissing creatures, and humming spacecraft, listeners get to experience the duo’s investigations like never before.” What’s more, Duchovny and Anderson will reprise the roles of FBI Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, respectively. Original series characters Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi), The Cigarette-Smoking Man (William B. Davis), and the Lone Gunmen (Tom Braidwood, Dean Haglund and Bruce Harwood) will also appear in the new production.

Cold Cases won’t be available for download until July 18, though ardent X-Files fans out there can pre-order the audiobook here.