X-Files Creator Chris Carter on How His I Want to Believe Director's Cut Dovetailed Into His Second Feature, Queens for a Day

In 2026, The X-Files creator Chris Carter released the Director's Cut of his 2008 feature debut, The X-Files: I Want to Believe, under the title Vrach Frankenshteyn. He also promoted the limited release of his second feature, Queens for a Day. Former X-Files staffers attended a Santa Monica screening of Queens for a Day, including Darren Morgan, Glen Morgan, Annabeth Gish, Kristen Cloke, and Jeff Cahn.

The film's co-writer, Carter's wife Dori Carter, shared that she had written the screenplay 30 years ago and optioned it but never got it greenlit. Carter encouraged her to update the Twilight Zone-style story about a daughter waking up in her mother's body in the 1950s to reflect the current political climate. The daughter, now a right-wing news pundit named Judge Jerri, undergoes a journey of begrudging empathy and understanding her mother's struggles.

The film's production took place in Vancouver, Canada, with a tight 32-day schedule. Carter finished editing the film around October 9 and incorporated the most timely political topics he could include. He revealed that the film's inspiration came from Rod Serling's Twilight Zone, whose allegorical storytelling allowed for the exploration of forbidden topics.