Creator of The X-Files, Chris Carter, has had a significant year of independent creative endeavors. In August, Hulu released his Director's Cut of the 2008 film, The X-Files: I Want to Believe, now titled Vrach Frankenshteyn, presenting the story with the tone and title he originally envisioned.
This month, Carter is promoting the limited release of his second feature film, Queens for a Day, a self-funded independent project. A recent screening of the time-twisting cautionary tale, noted for its political message, was attended by numerous former X-Files collaborators, including Darren Morgan, Glen Morgan, Annabeth Gish, Kristen Cloke, and Jeff Cahn. Gish also led a Q&A session with Carter following the screening.
Carter confirmed that the work on his recut of The X-Files: I Want to Believe dovetailed into the pre-production of Queens for a Day. The Vrach Frankenshteyn cut was finalized in December 2025. In early 2026, Carter began filming Queens for a Day in Vancouver, British Columbia, over a compressed 32-day period. He collaborated with editor Cahn on the final cut, which was locked around October 9, incorporating timely political themes.
Reflecting on the year, Carter, who recently turned 70, expressed satisfaction with revisiting The X-Files: I Want to Believe, a film that did not initially resonate well with the fandom. "I just felt like I had made a movie and they made me change it," Carter stated, referencing his disappointment with Fox's edits. "I wanted to make the movie a scary movie. It was a Frankenstein movie. No one ever appreciated, or got to appreciate it as Frankenstein. I actually got to put the title Frankenstein in it, so that was very important to me. We made sure it’s an X-Files movie that draws on the Frankenstein story and that's what I tried to put back into it."
He noted that while critics and fans have responded positively to his director's cut, some viewers focused on the Mulder and Scully relationship were not pleased with the removal of certain scenes. "The relation-shippers were not happy that I took out some Mulder and Scully," he said pragmatically. Carter also considered the continuity of the series, noting that Scully's pregnancy revealed in a recent season meant he had to ensure the film did not feel dated.
Genesis of 'Queens for a Day'
The screenplay for Queens for a Day was written by Dori Carter, Chris Carter's wife, approximately 30 years ago. The project was optioned but never greenlit until Chris Carter rediscovered the script during a period of housecleaning. He encouraged Dori to update the story, which he described as "Twilight-Zone styled," about an adult daughter estranged from her mother. The narrative involves the daughter waking up in her mother's body in the 1950s after a car crash, allowing her to experience her mother's life.
Chris Carter suggested to Dori that the story be adapted for the current political climate, with the main character becoming a conservative newscaster, drawing a parallel to figures like Jeanine Pirro. This adaptation became the genesis of the project.
In its current form, the film features Judge Jerri, portrayed by actress Erin Boyes, a prominent conservative news pundit. Jerri undergoes a transformation, developing empathy and understanding her mother's struggles as a single parent and a woman with limited options in her era. She comes to recognize how her own bitterness has negatively impacted her life and contributed to a broader toxic political discourse.
Carter stated that the completed film presented challenges in securing studio and distributor interest, though he is still pursuing a wider release. "The reason we wanted to do this was not just to tell a good tale, but to raise our fists. We’re angry we are living in a world we don't want to live in, and so this is our response to that," he explained. He also drew a parallel between Jerri's journey and that of Scrooge in Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," where the character witnesses his past, present, and future, leading to a life-altering change.
Carter also cited Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone as a significant inspiration, noting Serling's method of using allegorical storytelling to address subjects that might otherwise be censored on television. "I just read something really interesting about Rod Serling, that he kept trying to write things that they wouldn't let him put on television," Carter told IGN. "And he finally figured out for The Twilight Zone, if you write things allegorically, you can actually put things on film that you wouldn't be able to do."
Queens for a Day is scheduled to screen exclusively at LaemmleRoyal in Santa Monica until October 22. Updates on wider release and additional screenings can be found on the film's Instagram page: @queensforadaymovie.