Following the premiere of Pearl at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the third installment of the X horror franchise has officially been announced. A24 has greenlit MaXXXine, a sequel that follows the events of X with Mia Goth reprising one of her two roles in that film. Ti West returns to write and direct after doing the same with X and Pearl. A first look teaser for MaXXXine has also been unveiled, and you can take a look at that below, courtesy of A24 on YouTube.
In MaXXXine, "Maxine (Goth), after the events of X, as the sole survivor who continues her journey towards fame setting out to make it as an actress in 1980s Los Angeles."
The film is produced by A24, Jacob Jaffke, and Ti West. Goth executive produces. Additional producers include Kevin Turen and Harrison Kreiss. It's not yet clear when the movie will be released.
Mia Goth Leads the X Trilogy
The second installment of the franchise, the prequel Pearl, had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival to universal acclaim followed by its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Monday. It will have a wide release in theaters on Friday, Sept. 16. The film is set decades before X with Goth returning as the future psycho-biddy Pearl, "here a starry-eyed farm girl with a short fuse and a deadly ambition."
"It has been incredible to be a part of something that starts as an idea that goes from script to screen," producer Peter Phok told MovieWeb about the X's success. "X has transcended since it’s been released to the world. It’s out there and now a part of pop culture. The positive reception of X by fans and critics, along with all the memes and references, is extraordinary and fun."
Of turning the series into a trilogy, Phok added, "Mia Goth returns with a deep, nuanced performance as Pearl in a prequel set sixty years before X. Ti looks forward to the opportunity to complete this world with a cinematic trilogy and continue to deliver something original and unique."
The original film, X was released in March 2022. Set during the 1970s, it serves as an homage to classic slasher films of the era like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The film was a big hit for A24, surpassing box office expectations and landing with a very high score on Rotten Tomatoes. The continued praise of the series with Pearl hitting well on the film festival circuit seems to have clinched the deal for Ti West to turn the series into a trilogy.
No release date has yet been announced for MaXXXine, but Pearl will be released on Sept. 16, 2022.