LOS ANGELES (Zap2It.com) - "It was completely down to the wire," says "X-Files" executive producer Frank Spotnitz of the negotiations for an eighth season of the hit Fox network series. "Honestly, it was down to the last minute. It could have fallen apart at any time."

Ultimately, with the apparent settlement of co-star David Duchovny's lawsuit against the show's producing studio, 20th Century Fox (in which he claimed that selling "X" to Fox-owned cablenet FX for a reduced rate cut into his share of the profits -- a claim also made by Steven Bochco about "NYPD Blue"), both show and actor are returning, but with Duchovny in a reduced capacity.

"As I understand it," says Spotnitz, "he is signed for 11. We're doing 20, but how we will use him, we're just figuring it out."

In the season finale, "Requiem," aliens abducted Mulder--maybe. So will there be a new partner for Agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson)? "We literally are figuring that out as we speak, because this is our first week back, but it will be very different from the Mulder-Scully relationship."

What about future appearances by one-armed double agent Krycek (Nicholas Lea)? "Nic wasn't available to us for most of last year. I'm hoping he's very available (this year), but I'll find out soon enough."

Could Scully and Krycek become an item? "Honestly, anything could happen. I don't know."

Anderson's reaction to the season-ending bombshell that the supposedly barren Scully is somehow pregnant? "She said, 'I knew it!' That was her reaction. She liked it, though."

Duchovny told an Italian radio station that Mulder is the baby's dad, but Spotniz wouldn't confirm: "Our lips are sealed," he said.

And how about Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis), who seemed dead after being pushed down the stairs by Krycek "Well, we've killed people before . Deep Throat's been dead a long time, and he keeps coming back."

Any chance for a second "X" movie? "I don't know if there will be another movie if things aren't successful this year. It all depends on what happens."






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