Mia Goth‘s Maxine has found her home in the seedy underbelly of erotic films in 1985 Hollywood.
One of IndieWire’s most anticipated films of 2024, Ti West’s “MaXXXine” is set to conclude the franchise led by star Goth following the success of “X” and “Pearl.” Goth’s Maxine survived the bloodbath during an adult film shoot in “X,” and brought her twisted final girl status to the starry city of Los Angeles a decade later. Maxine’s thirst for fame mirrors her counterpart Pearl’s (also played by Goth in both “X” and origin story “Pearl”) obsession with stardom.
The film takes place in 1980s Hollywood, where adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx (Goth) 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, per the official synopsis.
“MaXXXine” co-stars Halsey, Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito, and Kevin Bacon.
Writer/director West told IndieWire that “MaXXXine” will be “about how home video has affected people” in the 1980s.
Actress/producer/co-writer Goth previously added to IndieWire that she didn’t want Maxine (or her counterpart Pearl) to be viewed as villains, despite their multiple murders in the slasher.
“I saw them as the same woman in many ways,” Goth said of her dual roles. “They were just at different stages of their life. It was very important to me that she didn’t come across [as a villain]. I had a lot of sympathy toward Pearl, and it was important that even in this world that they’re in — in a slasher film — they wouldn’t be presented as horror tropes or they’re seen as the monsters. That wouldn’t have been interesting for me to have played at all.”
West’s “X” debuted at the 2022 SXSW Film & TV Festival, with sequel “Pearl” making its world premiere at the 2022 Venice Film Festival and hosted its North American debut at TIFF.
“I’m very proud of these,” West stated. “They’re super different and very out-of-nowhere. You won’t need to see one to see the other but they do complement each other.”
Director West and A24 previously issued an open casting call for fans to be background actors in “MaXXXine.”
“MaXXXine” premieres July 5 in theaters. Check out the trailer below.
