MaXXXine Cast, Director, Teaser Trailer, Plot And More Details
In 2022, a new juggernaut of a horror franchise was born. From seemingly out of nowhere, director Ti West partnered with A24 to drop "X" and "Pearl," a duology of glitzy period piece slasher films starring Mia Goth. It didn't take long for the fresh series to garner a massive fan base among horror buffs and general cinemagoers alike, with particular attention drawn to the movies' balancing of fun scares with rich thematic material. Now, only a short span of time after these two movies first released, it seems like the "X" universe is already about to start a new chapter.
The third movie in the franchise, titled "MaXXXine" is currently in development. It's fair to say that there's still quite a few secrets being held about this mysterious new entry, but there are some early details that are sure to get fans of both "X" and "Pearl" excited for what's to come. Here's everything we know so far about "MaXXXine," including its plot synopsis, starring cast, and more.
When will MaXXXine be released?
While viewers may be eager to watch "MaXXXine" themselves, they're going to have to wait a while longer. As it stands, the horror flick has no set release date or release window — it's not even certain whether would-be watchers can expect the movie in 2023. A small visual teaser for the film posted by A24 on April 5, 2023 included a "Coming Soon" tag, but there's no way to discern just how soon that might be yet.
After how short of a span there was between the previous two films in the series (a mere few months, that is), fans may be wondering why "MaXXXine" is taking a bit longer to come out. In reality, both "X" and "Pearl" were filmed back-to-back, meaning that they could be easily released within the same calendar year. "MaXXXine" has only entered production much more recently, so it's going to take a while longer before it's ready to release.
What is the plot of MaXXXine?
Rather than continuing the prequel story set up by the second franchise film "Pearl," "MaXXXine" is instead directly picking up after the ending of "X." That movie, set in the 1970s, chronicled the harrowing story of a group of young pornography creators who wind up caught in the clutches of a murderous old couple. Mia Goth's lead character of Maxine proves to be the only survivor of the horrific incident, and it's her story that "MaXXXine" seeks to continue.
Jumping forward in time by a few years, "MaXXXine" will follow Goth's Maxine in the 1980s, as she attempts to move on from the horrors of "X" and make it big as an actress in Hollywood. Of course, if the tone of "X" and "Pearl" is anything to go by, things aren't going to go very smoothly for the lead character. Further plot details beyond this basic premise are still sparse, although director Ti West told Empire, "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."
Who is starring in MaXXXine?
Perhaps the most exciting bit of information about "MaXXXine" thus far is its star-studded cast. Of course, Mia Goth is returning to headline the movie as Maxine (and possibly some additional character if previous entries are anything to go by). However, there's also a ton of actors who are making their grand debut into the franchise.
Per a casting announcement video from A24, "MaXXXine" is set to feature as many as eight fresh faces. That list includes Kevin Bacon ("Footloose"), Bobby Cannavale ("The Irishman"), Lily Collins ("Emily in Paris"), Elizabeth Debicki ("Tenet"), Giancarlo Esposito ("Breaking Bad"), and Michelle Monaghan ("Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol"). Notably, the movie features roles for two popular musician-slash-actors as well, those being Halsey ("Sing 2") and Moses Sumney ("The Idol").
That's an absolutely stacked line-up. While some of these performers will no doubt have more extensive roles than others, avid film and TV fans will no doubt enjoy so many familiar faces working together on a project. As for placing bets on how many of these actors' characters will end up actually surviving the events of "MaXXXine," that's another story entirely.
Who is directing MaXXXine?
Just like how it wouldn't feel like a proper "X" film without Mia Goth in the saddle, a new entry in the franchise without director Ti West at the helm would be a tough sell. Fortunately, the longtime horror creative is returning to direct "MaXXXine," turning his works in the "X" universe into a trilogy.
While West is locked in on developing "MaXXXine," he's been pretty secretive about what fans can expect from this third entry, and how he'll be evolving the series further beyond its roots. Nonetheless, he's been workshopping his ideas for the third film for a while now, having originally conceptualized "MaXXXine" while in the production stages for "X" and "Pearl." "To round the whole thing out, MaXXXine as a sequel to X is fine," the director explained to Bloody Disgusting. "MaXXXine as part of a trilogy is infinitely more interesting, so that was part of the overall concept."
Is there a trailer for MaXXXine?
While an official full trailer for "MaXXXine" has yet to be released, the hotly-anticipated movie has received a teaser video by way of an A24 promo. At just over a minute long, this little preview doesn't reveal much about the movie, but there's still a few small details that make it worth checking out for eager fans.
The teaser starts with a retro channel static effect, as if a VHS has just been inserted into an old-school TV set. The video then cuts to a fly-over view of Los Angeles, while a small bit of text reveals that the movie will specifically be taking place in the year 1985 — roughly six years after the events of "X." As the video continues to pan along the landscape, viewers will find that the iconic Hollywood sign has been replaced with a similarly-styled sign reading "MAXXXINE." Meanwhile, the intro of the poppy 1983 hit "Obsession" by Animotion plays, no doubt meant to be some creepy narrative foreshadowing.
That's pretty much all there is, at least for now. Fans will have to wait for a full trailer to get their first look at Maxine's return.
Where to watch previous X films
"MaXXXine" may be shaping up to be one of the best upcoming horror movies, but those unfamiliar with the franchise may have a bit of catching up to do before they see it. "MaXXXine" is the third movie in a trilogy that began with 2022's "X" and continued on with the prequel film "Pearl." Fortunately, both of these previous entries in the series are readily available to stream online in a couple of different places.
"X" is available to watch for those with a subscription to Paramount+ at no additional cost. It can also be watched on Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Roku if subscribers to these services have purchased the Showtime add-on plan. As for a la carte options, the movie can be outright purchased on Amazon Prime Video, the iTunes store, and YouTube. As for "Pearl," the prequel film isn't part of the basic line-up for any streaming service at the moment, but it can be rented or purchased on most of the aforementioned platforms, including Amazon Prime Video and YouTube.