Though the second film in A24’s X trilogy, Pearl, just premiered in theaters, series director Ti West has confirmed that he and his team are already hard at work on the conclusion to this deadly trilogy.
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As per Deadline, West confirmed development of a third and final X entry following Pearl’s September 12th premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Set after the events of X, the upcoming MaXXXine will see Mia Goth as the eponymous Maxine and follow her continued quest for fame in 1980’s Los Angeles.
Shooting hasn’t begun, but Deadline makes it clear that the film “is on a fast track after being greenlit by A24.”
Shortly after this announcement, A24 released a short teaser for the sequel, which while understandably not containing any actual footage from the film, does give fans a taste of what they can expect when it finally hits theaters.
Opening with the classic ‘static noise’ present on well-worn VHS tapes, the trailer eventually cuts to a sweeping wide shot of the Hollywood Hills as a graphic labels the footage as coming from “Los Angeles, 1985″.
The camera then swings around to reveal that instead of the iconic ‘Hollywood’ sign, the landmark’s individual characters have been replaced with similarly-styled letters that spell out ‘MaXXXine”.
From the VCR like effects, to the logo, to even the trailer music MaXXXine seems to be leaning heavily into the 80’s aesthetic – a creative decision which not only makes sense for the series’ own time line, but also evokes memories of one of the best periods for Horror films ever.
Though A24’s releases usually skew more towards a younger crowd, even they are likely to know how important this time was to the genre, giving way to such classics as 1987’s Hellraiser, a film whose influence is still felt in media to this day, and 1988’s Child’s Play.
The 80s also gave us the twin outings of Day of the Dead and The Return of the Living Dead, both of which pushed the limits regarding mainstream Zombie content.
Needless to say the 80’s were a primo time for horror, and MaXXXine will be in good company if it takes full advantage of it’s setting and it’s rich history of horror and slashers.
Further, this third trip to the X universe gives star Mia Goth another opportunity for those unaware to realize that she could very well be the next big thing in horror – the more highbrow side of it, at least.
In fact, Goth’s early career was founded on such films, as before pulling double duty as the lead antagonist of both X and Pearl, she appeared in such films as A Cure for Wellness, Marrowbone, and the 2018 remake of Suspiria.
Of course, what MaXXXine could mean for the trilogy’s story and the kind of kills, thrills, and chills it might bring ultimately remains to be seen.
Until we know more, all we can do is wait in anticipation, and maybe rewatch the first two movies a few more times.
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