In more ways that one, Ti West is having a most X-cellent year. Earlier in 2022, the horror director debuted X, his Texas Chainsaw-inspired ‘70s slasher that played with the tropes of the genre in fascinating ways (while still delivering gory shocks). And then came the news that a prequel movie, Pearl, was not only on the way but had already been shot, filmed back-to-back with X. And it’s not over yet – now that Pearl is starting to play at film festivals, combining bloody horror with early-Hollywood Technicolor visuals, it’s been confirmed that a third X film is on the way: make way for MaXXXine. Check out the first teaser.
Ready to hear a few more details about MaXXXine? Well, if you haven’t seen X yet (and really, you should, it’s very good), then be warned – SPOILERS ARE AHEAD for that movie.
Still here? Good, then you’ll know that Pearl is a prequel that brings back Mia Goth as a younger version of the elderly killer she played in major prosthetics in X. And since Goth also played Maxine, the budding film star who survived the massacre of X, the 1985-set MaXXXine will follow her exploits as an actress after the 1979 events of the original film. All of that informs the teaser above, with its Hollywood-sign logo, the VHS presentation, and the distinctly ‘80s music.
Otherwise, not much is known about MaXXXine at this point. Unlike Pearl, it’s not actually been shot yet – but it’s reportedly on for a fast-track production at A24, so hopefully we won’t be in for too long of a wait. As for Pearl, it’s currently unclear when that will arrive in UK cinemas. A release timed around Halloween would make for a nice, spooky treat – let’s keep our fingers crossed. Or, X’ed.