With an iconic screech and an infamous guttural wail, Mia Goth anointed herself scream queen of the century in 2022. The psychotic cry heard around the world (“Please, I’m a star! Noooo, I’m a star!”) came out of the English actor’s role as Pearl in the eponymous Ti West movie. A prequel to X (2022), Pearl sheds some light on the villain-origins of the murderous character that hosts — then later hunts down — an adult film crew in the initial 70-set movie. The upcoming movie in the trilogy, MaXXXine then jumps ahead in the timeline to 1985, to catch up with X’s sole survivor of the same name (well, give or take an ‘x’) also played by Mia.
In the unfortunate absence of a release date more specific than ‘coming soon’, we at least have a first-look image of the sex worker icon to pore over, also featuring… Halsey? And whispers coming from a recent test screening in Burbank, California have given us some more information, including the giallo genre influences and who each of the newcomers in the cast will play. So, who is set to star in Maxxxine? What exactly is this sequel going to be about? Is there a trailer yet? And where are Maxine’s eyebrows? Here’s everything we know about the film so far.
What is the plot of MaXXXine?
All we officially knew about the film is that it is a continuation of Maxine’s quest for fame in 80s Los Angeles, until Mia revealed a few details in an interview with TotalFilm. “I see MaXXXine as a superhero movie — that’s how I read the script,” the actor said in April. “Maxine, as a character, has come a long way. She’s a survivor, she’s gone through a lot. When we meet her again, in this new world that she’s in, she’s really fought for everything that she has, and she’s not about to give that up. She’s going to fight for what she has. She’s a badass. There’s a strength to her. And she’s a really proactive, determined, focused woman. She goes after what she wants, and she’s not really going to take no for an answer.”
Since, a source told Scream Magazine that the movie would be a “whodunnit slasher” in which “things take a sinister turn when bodies once again begin to fall around the starlet.” In terms of blood and guts, MaXXXine is said to be something of a departure from its predecessors: “Whilst both X and Pearl contain heavy slasher leanings, neither is a slasher film in the truest sense. Both are in-depth character studies and rely on far more than a gory killing.”
After a test screening for the film in December 2023, World of Reel reported that initial reactions from viewers were positive and that Mia’s performance was “subdued” but “stellar”. The film is said to be an homage to Dario Argento, the Italian film director and “master of horror” who was highly influential in the giallo murder mystery genre. World of Reel adds that, in a similar fashion to the genre classics, “L.A. is being terrorized by the ‘night stalker’ who, for some reason, is eager to meet Maxine.” Some scenes have been said to be filmed in Bates’ Motel, the famed setting of the 1960 horror Psycho.
Who’s in the cast?
Joining Mia is Elizabeth Debicki, who is said to play the director of the budget horror sequel Maxine is cast in, Giancarlo Esposito as Maxine’s untrustworthy agent and Miss Emily in Paris herself, Lily Collins who will reportedly play one of her scream queen co-stars in the in-universe movie. Kevin Bacon is said to play a corrupt private investigator hired by an unknown source to find Maxine, while Michelle Monaghan and Bobby Cannavale will play detectives and Moses Sumney and Halsey will star in as-yet undisclosed roles.
World of Reel also reports that one more secret actor appears and becomes “a major highlight of the movie”. Did one of the characters from the first two movies survive? Or does a big name star make a cameo? We need answers!
Is there a trailer?
Not quite. A24 dropped a minute-long teaser featuring the names of the top-billed cast and giving us a feel of the lo-fi 80s vibe we might be able to expect from the movie — it’s not nothing!
When is the release date for MaXXXine?
Though production on the film is rumoured to have wrapped in May, there are no indications of a specific date just yet. Check back soon for updates.