Mia Goth is set to reprise her role as Maxine Minx in the upcoming horror film “MaXXXine,” which serves as a sequel to the 2022 movie “X” and its prequel “Pearl.” Following on from the events of “X,” where Maxine was the sole survivor of a massacre on a Texas farm in 1979, the new film will focus on her journey to becoming a Hollywood star in the 1980s. While details of the plot are scarce, director Ti West’s involvement suggests that “MaXXXine” will be just as gory as its predecessors. As of now, the release date is yet to be confirmed, but the film is expected to hit theaters in late 2023 or early 2024.
As director Ti West says, “To round the whole thing out, MaXXXine as a sequel to X is fine. MaXXXine as part of a trilogy is infinitely more interesting, so that was part of the overall concept. I think what’ll be fun in MaXXXine, I’m not going to tell you what it’s about, but what’s fun is it is an evolution of the character, in the way that you met Pearl in X, but then you get to know a different side of her in Pearl. Yes, you have met Maxine. It is a continuation of Maxine, but she is at a very different point in her life. It’s going to be an interesting thing to catch up with her when we do, and to see Mia Goth in yet another way.”
The film will explore another sub-genre of horror and continue to depict cinema’s influence on society by examining the impact of home video releases.
“I’m trying to build a world out of all this like people do these days,” and “You can’t make a slasher movie without a bunch of sequels.”
As stated by Ti West. While each movie can be watched independently, he believes that they are meant to complement each other.
Executive producer Peter Phok confirmed in June 2022 that the third film is officially in development, and a teaser for the movie was shown after the post-credits of Pearl at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. The third movie, titled MaXXXine, will be set in 1985 and will follow Maxine’s journey to becoming a famous actress in Hollywood. Mia Goth will reprise her role as Maxine, and West will once again serve as writer/director and producer. The teaser trailer has been shot, and the film has been fast-tracked by A24. Principal photography is scheduled to commence in April of 2023, with many of the previous production team returning.
Ti West’s “X” was released in 2022, which he wrote, directed, produced, and edited. Mia Goth stars in dual roles, playing Maxine, a young woman, and Pearl, an elderly lady. The movie also features Jenna Ortega, Martin Henderson, Brittany Snow, Owen Campbell, Stephen Ure, and Scott Mescudi in supporting roles. The plot revolves around a film crew that goes to an elderly couple’s rural property in Texas to shoot a pornographic film, only to be threatened by the murderous couple.
“X” was filmed in New Zealand, with most of the production taking place in Fordell, near Whanganui. The movie premiered at South by Southwest (SXSW) on March 13, 2022, and was released in the United States on March 18, 2022, by A24. It received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its nods to slasher films of the twentieth century, particularly 1974’s “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre,” and the performances of Goth, Snow, and Ortega.
The film “Pearl,” subtitled “An X-traordinary Origin Story,” was released in 2022 and directed by the same director, who co-wrote the screenplay with Goth. Goth reprises her role as the titular character, with David Corenswet, Tandi Wright, Matthew Sunderland, and Emma Jenkins-Purro in supporting roles. Serving as a prequel to “X” (2022) and the second installment in the X film series, “Pearl” tells the origin story of the title villain, whose desire to become a movie star drives her to commit violent acts on her family’s Texas homestead in 1918.
“Pearl” premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2022, and was released in US theaters on September 16, 2022, by A24. The movie earned over $9 million and received positive reviews from critics who praised Goth’s performance, West’s screenplay and direction, and its nods to the Golden Age of Hollywood films, particularly “The Wizard of Oz” (1939) and “Mary Poppins” (1964).
Both horror films capture the essence and aesthetics of the time period. I love how it pays homage to films made during those times and it’s a unique aspect of the X movie universe. There is no doubt that MaXXXine will also capture the essence of the 80s. Although I did not like the film X that much, Pearl was absolutely amazing. X felt like it had no plot depth and the kills were boring. Pearl had a much more sinister lens and the film puts you on the edge of your seat. Goth’s performance is also 10x better than in X. I definitely look forward to seeing her play Maxine again and I think her performance will be promising.
