It’s wild to see a jumping-around-in-time horror franchise come together at A24 and one that’s not even built on a title brand at the same time. Written and directed by horror filmmaker Ti West, “MaXXXine” is the third and final (?) installment in his slasher trilogy that began with “X” and “Pearl.” “X” was basically a kind of sexploitation horror/cautionary tale about fame set in the late 1970s about a cast and crew who gather to make a pornographic film on an elderly couple’s rural Texas property, but things go horribly awry.
“Pearl” was the prequel, set in the early 1900s, about a young woman on the brink of madness who pursues stardom in a desperate attempt to escape the drudgery of her parents’ farm. Now, “MaXXXine” is the sequel to “X,” and it follows the title character, Maxine, as she moves to Los Angeles in the 1980s, continuing to pursue her dreams of becoming a famous actress.
Written and directed once again by Ti West, “MaXXXine” stars Mia Goth once again, this time joined by Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey, Lily Collins, with Giancarlo Esposito. and Kevin Bacon.
Here’s the official synopsis:
In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.
Produced by Jacob Jaffke, Ti West, Kevin Turen, Harrison Kreiss, and Mia Goth, these films are generally low-budget and low-cost. “Pearl” grossed $10 million at the box office, and “X” earned $15.1 million, not gigantic numbers, but generally profitable when set next to the $1 million budget of each film, which is often the advantage of lo-fi scuzzy horrors like these.
“MaXXXine” will be released in the United States by A24 on July 5, 2024. Watch the new trailer below.