Vancouver will once again be the hunting grounds of paranormal activity for Mulder and Scully.

“The X-Files” movie sequel, starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as the intrepid FBI agents, will be shot in Vancouver starting Dec. 10.

It is the second movie based on the TV series of the same name, which ran from 1993 to 2002.

Original creator Chris Carter is set to write and direct.

The TV series was shot in Vancouver during its first five seasons, but moved to Los Angeles in later seasons. The relocation was due to a number of reasons, including Duchovny wanting to spend more time with his wife, actress Téa Leoni.

The first X-Files movie came out in 1998 and was shot in California, New Jersey, London and British Columbia. It was made on a budget of about $65 million and went on to gross $187 worldwide.

A sequel had been delayed due to legal wrangling between Carter and 20th Century Fox.

The new movie’s location is good news for British Columbia’s film industry, with about 100 crew members from the province expected to find work on the film.

Vancouver is no stranger to sci-fi shows. The success of “X-Files” and two other Vancouver-made shows of that era, “The Outer Limits” and “Poltergeist: The Legacy,” kick-started the trend of bringing other TV series about the paranormal to the city.

Recent sci-fi shows to call Vancouver home include “Stargate SG-1,” “Stargate Atlantis,” “Andromeda,” “Millennium” (another Carter creation), “Supernatural,” “Battlestar Galactica,” “Eureka,” “Kyle-XY” and “Flash Gordon.”

The as-yet-untitled X-Files sequel is scheduled to hit theatres in June 2008.






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