Maxine Minx is set to return to the big screen to follow her dreams as an actress. X franchise filmmaker Ti West has confirmed the development of the third and final film of the franchise, appropriately titled MaXXXine. The project was officially announced at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival in September by West and production company A24 after a showing of Pearl revealing a post-credit teaser for MaXXXine.
Ti West’s first project for the franchise, X, was released in March 2022. The film stars Mia Goth as Maxine, Jenna Ortega as Lorraine, Brittany Snow as Bobby Lynne, Scott Mescudi, also known as Kid Cudi, as Jackson Hole, Martin Henderson as Wayne Gilroy, and Owen Campbell as RJ. After X's release and critical success, Ti West revealed in March 2022 that he had filmed the film's prequel, Pearl, back-to-back with X. Pearl was released in September 2022 with Mia Goth reprising her role as the titular character. Along with its predecessor, Pearl did well critically, with even Martin Scorsese praising it, which led to A24 green lighting the third and final film of the X franchise, MaXXXine. Here is everything we know so far about MaXXXine.
Update January 25, 2024: This article has been updated by Jessica Peerez with more recent information regarding Ti West's MaXXXine.
MaXXXine: The Plot
The plot of MaXXXine still remains shrouded in mystery. However, it has been confirmed that the new movie will be a direct sequel to X and will follow Maxine as she hungers after fame. The teaser trailer also confirms that MaXXXine will be set in 1985, six years after the events of X. The inclusion of the triple 'X' in the film's title can also be interpreted as referring to the new movie's focus on an adult content-focused narrative. The official synopsis for the film reads:
"The film follows Maxine, after the events of X, as the sole survivor who continues her journey towards fame setting out to make it as an actress in 1980’s Los Angeles.”
During an interview with Bloody Disgusting in September 2022, West provided a little insight into what fans can expect from MaXXXine. The filmmaker said:
“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."
Viewers still have a few questions about the third film, such as what happens to Maxine between X, set in 1979, and this film, set in 1985. Will it show her journey working towards being in Los Angeles while also healing from being the lone survivor of a massacre? What new horror will Maxine face in this new slasher? Will she become the villain to get to where she wants to be as an actress? Finally, at the end of X, the sheriff arrives at the farm and notices the video camera. Will that be addressed in MaXXXine?
Release Date
Unlike X and Pearl, MaXXXine's release will have more of a gap between it and its predecessor Pearl. The first two films of the franchise, having been shot simultaneously, saw release dates in the same year and were released six months apart. However, this will not be the case for the third and final film of the franchise. A24 announced via X in April 2023 that filming for MaXXXine had officially commenced in Los Angeles, California.
Although the film does not have a set release date yet, it has been confirmed that the movie will be released in 2024, amounting to a gap of two years between Pearl and MaXXXine. Many suspect that A24 might want to premiere the film at South by Southwest, the same festival that X premiered at in 2022, which is being held from March 8, 2024, to March 16, 2024. A24 could also save it for the Venice Film Festival, which is where Pearl premiered. The Venice Film Festival is being held from August 28 to September 7, 2024, and it would be great if MaXXXine wanted an early September release date to get a jump start on the Halloween season.
MaXXXine: The Cast
So far, the only returning cast member of MaXXXine is Mia Goth, who reprises her role as Maxine from the first film. Goth displayed her talent through the first two movies, where in X the actress juggled playing the roles of both Maxine and Pearl while also simultaneously filming for Pearl.
The fresh additions to the cast of MaXXXine make the third film truly star-studded. Joining Goth will be Michelle Monaghan (Maggie Hart in True Detective), Giancarlo Esposito (Gus Fring in Breaking Bad), Elizabeth Debicki (Jordan Baker in The Great Gatsby), Lilly Collins (Emily Cooper in Emily in Paris), Kevin Bacon (Bob Garbinger in The Toxic Avenger) and Bobby Cannavale (Dean Brannock in The Watcher). West has once again decided to bring in cast members who are predominantly recognized for their talents in the music industry, casting both Halsey and Moses Sumney. The filmmaker previously cast Scott Mescudi as Jackson Hole in X.
Behind the Scenes Issues
Despite the anticipation that has been building to see Mia Goth reprise her role in MaXXXine, the actress has recently been embroiled in a controversial lawsuit. Goth is being sued by James Hunter, an extra on MaXXXine, for allegedly intentionally kicking him in the head on the set of the film. Hunter alleges that after kicking him, Goth also went on to corner him in a bathroom, taunting and mocking him while daring him to do anything about what had taken place. Hunter was later informed by his casting agency that production did not want him back on the set of MaXXXine.
Hunter has also stated in his lawsuit that he had to pull over twice while driving home due to feeling lightheaded. He eventually visited a hospital, owing to head trauma symptoms he was experiencing, including confusion and disorientation, and was diagnosed with a concussion. Having suffered both mentally and physically as a result of the events, Hunter is suing not only Goth but also Ti West and A24 on charges of battery and wrongful termination. At the time of writing, neither Goth, West, nor the studio have offered any comment regarding the allegations.
It remains to be seen whether the lawsuit will impact the release of MaXXXine and Goth's role in the film. With Goth being the star of the film and it already being 100% complete, they cannot really drop her or recast the past. This lawsuit, depending on how bad it is and how public it becomes, could end up delaying the film's release date.