Hulu released Chris Carter's R-rated director's cut of 2008's "The X-Files: I Want to Believe," retitled "The X-Files: I Want to Believe–Vrach Frankenshteyn." The original film grossed $68 million against a $30 million budget but was trimmed for PG-13.

Carter tells Ars Technica the studio forced cuts to secure the rating, saying "I made it too scary." He re-edited with new editors to restore the horror vision, emphasizing head-transplant themes inspired by real monkey experiments. Vrach Frankenshteyn (Russian for Victor Frankenstein) reflects the Frankenstein motif.

Carter discusses Mulder and Scully's enduring dynamic—skepticism and belief—and hints at a third film, though he defers to Ryan Coogler's upcoming Hulu reboot. "I want to tell that story sometime," he says.