AceShowbiz -

In the follow-up to the reported filming start date, a release date for "The X Files" sequel has apparently been picked up. Variety has revealed that 20th Century Fox as the studio producing the flick will launch the movie exactly on July 25, 2008.

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are reported to reprise their roles as FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, respectively. Also confirmed is the production start, which will indeed take place in Vancouver in December.

Creator of the original TV series Chris Carter will direct from the script he co-wrote alongside Frank Spotnitz, the scribe of the long-running show, both taking care producing matters as well. Meanwhile, pic's logline is being kept under wraps, but the studio has stressed that it will be a stand-alone story and supernatural thriller that takes the complicated relationship between Mulder and Scully in new directions.

Plan to develop the follow-up had been hatched for years but was put on hold when Carter filed a lawsuit against Fox in 2005 over how the "X-Files" syndication profits were divided up. The case, fortunately, was later settled and so, enabled the man to put the sequel plan back on its course.

In other news about Anderson, the actress is reported to join the cast of a coming-of-age drama titled "The Smell of Apples." Based on a novel by Mark Behr, project will start production next year with Julian McMahon co-starring and Kfir Yefet directing.