So far, Ti West’s trilogy of terror that started with X has shocked the world on many different occasions. Its sequel, Pearl, was so impactful that even director Martin Scorsese was “deeply disturbed” by the film. As the threquel MaXXXine has made the list of upcoming horror movies the world is anticipating in the year to come, trilogy star Mia Goth has hyped the next movie up in the best way possible.
In an interview with Empire, Goth and director Ti West were both on hand to discuss the progress on the next chapter of the horrific legacy started by the events of Pearl. While there are no dates set for production start or release, MaXXXine is already building a steady head of anticipation on the backs of those previous films. Get ready to crank up the hype machine a little more, as Mia Goth made these promising remarks:
Everything’s bigger. The world is bigger, the stakes are bigger. It’s going to provide the greatest cinematic experience of the three of them.
Starting with the one, two punch of X and Pearl, director Ti West and star Mia Goth formed a foundation of sex, violence and regret that pleased fans and critics alike. Spanning from the late 1910s to the ‘70s, both porno slashers saw the respective female protagonists trying to become movie stars. That approach influenced how Ti West crafted each story’s look and feel, which made for an interesting mashup of tones and story.
With Pearl taking after Technicolor melodramas and X exploring the world of vintage porn and grindhouse-style horror, the path to MaXXXine is intriguing from the start. In his portion of the interview, Ti West explained the current status of the picture’s script, as well as what to expect for the next era of filmmaking covered in this cinematic trilogy:
The script is done. I wrote this one individually. If X is a movie where they’re trying to make independent porn, and if Pearl is about her wanting to be part of ‘the movie business’, as difficult as that may be, then MaXXXine is certainly a different perspective on it. The world of straight-to-video plays a role.
As Mia Goth’s Maxine Minx is now taking center stage after the shocking ending of X, MaXXXine will see the aspiring starlet continuing to pursue the life she deserves. What that will entail is uncertain at this point, but since this is the ending of a murderous trilogy, you can probably bet that Maxine’s methods will eventually get quite bloody.
Then again, maybe she can resist the lure of insanity that dominated Pearl’s quest for stardom. Not knowing is part of the fun, and having MaXXXine written individually could see some surprises. That's part of the advantage of the third film being written outside of the process that made X and Pearl so close in their approaches. Yet again, the world doesn't know what to expect from this bloody, sexy saga, or when the wait for new details will end.
While we’re all waiting for more information on MaXXXIne’s triumphant debut, there’s still time to catch up on the previous installments. If you’re a Paramount+ subscription holder, you’ll be able to watch X through a Showtime add-on. Though we don’t know when Pearl will be streaming, it’s a safe bet that it’ll join its fellow frightener at the streaming home for most A24 releases.
