MaXXXine director Ti West has offered fans a much-needed update on the eagerly anticipated sequel to hit horror movies X and Pearl – and teased his “weird idea” for a potential fourth movie.
While guesting on the YouTube channel What’s Under the Bed, the filmmaker kind of explained why the flick has yet to release any official footage, outside of a highly stylized casting announcement, despite aiming for a 2024 release. “It’s coming along. I’m almost done editing it, so it’s on its way,” he assured. “So far, so good.
“I don’t mind telling you some stuff, but at the same time, it’s sort of like, the less people know… I feel like so many movies now, you know everything about them,” he went on. “Surely whenever the trailer comes out for this movie, they always give away too much. There’s something kind of nice about not knowing a lot about it.”
When asked whether there’s any chance of a sequel to the sequel, West added: “There is this one weird idea that I have that is kind of… if I explained it, it would make sense. But we’ll see what happens. Let’s get this movie done first, see if people like it. Then we’ll go from there.”
In MaXXXine, Mia Goth, who led both X and its prequel Pearl, is set to reprise her role from the former; the titular adult film actress-turned-final girl, as she pursues fame and fortune in Hollywood. Having survived a jealous onlooker’s murderous attack during her boyfriend’s porn shoot in rural Texas six years earlier, Maxine vows to do whatever it takes to achieve her dream of becoming a legitimate movie star. Halsey, Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito, and Kevin Bacon star.
In X, Goth played both Maxine and wizened villain Pearl, before portraying a much younger version of the latter in its follow-up. Set on the same isolated farm as its predecessor, it explores how Pearl’s wish of escaping her town didn’t work out. (In X, Pearl was so bitter over Maxine’s youth and rising stardom, she offed all of her friends before trying to kill her, too). We can only imagine what kind of wacky and wonderful things West is concocting for another movie…
While we wait for more news on MaXXXine, check out our picks of the best horror movies of all time and all the upcoming horror movies heading our way.