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When writer and directorTi Westcreated and released the movieXlast March, it was revealed thathe had also filmed the prequel film,Pearl, at the same time, teaming up with A24 to “build a world” that revolves around the slasher genre of horror movies. The first film, which is set in 1979, follows a group of adult filmmakers as they seek out a filming location for their new film. They end up renting a guest house from an elderly couple in a remote location not unlike the Sawyer farmhouse inTexas Chain Saw Massacre. The group consists of producer Wayne (Martin Henderson), his girlfriend Maxine (Mia Goth), pornstar couple Bobby-Lynne and Jackson (Brittany SnowandScott Mescudi, respectively), filmmaker RJ (Owen Campbell) and his girlfriend and assistant, Lorraine (Jenna Ortega).
They are slowly picked off one by one until it is revealed that the elderly couple, specifically the old woman whose name is Pearl, are the killers. The motive? Jealousy and rage over her lost youth, desirability, and beauty. Goth plays both the sole-survivor girl, Maxine, as well as the murderous Pearl and underwent 10 hours of extensive prosthetic makeup application on days she filmed as the old woman. Since both films were made simultaneously,Pearlhit theaters 6 months afterX. The prequel film was set in 1918 and focuses on the titular character’s origin story. While living on a farm with her German immigrant parents, Pearl (played by Goth) aspires for fame and stardom and is willing to kill for it.
At the very end ofPearl, a stinger was attached to the credits, teasing West’s final installment to the trilogy,MaXXXine. The brief clip imitates a VHS cassette playing, showing helicopter footage over what looks to be the famous “Hollywood” sign, except the letters have been changed to spell out Maxine’s name. The additional “XXX” implies she is still pursuing her career in the porn industry. This article will tell you everything you need to know about the new movie before it comes out!
Editor’s Note: This piece was updated on June 12, 2025.
Does ‘MaXXXine’ Have a Release Date?
Maxxxineis set to open on June 28, 2025,right in the middle of the summer movie season. The movie will be joining other horror movies on the summer movie slate, includingA Quiet Place: Day One,Cuckoo,Longlegs,The Watchers,Alien: Romulus, andM. Night Shyamalan’sTrap.
Will ‘MaXXXine’ Be in Theaters?
MaXXXinewill premiere exclusively in theaters first before becoming available to stream.
We also know that the film will eventually be made available to stream on the Max streaming service thanks toa deal that was struck between A24 and Warner Bros. Discoveryin December 2023, which gives Max the rights to stream new A24 movies after their exclusive theatrical window and PVOD window end.
Is There a Trailer for ‘MaXXXine’?
Theone-minute-long post-credit teaser that was shown afterPearlis available to watch above.
Thefull trailer forMaxxxinewas released by A24 on June 04, 2025. The two-and-a-half-minute trailer gives us a better look at the film’s plot as Maxine makes her way into Hollywood while being stalked by a creepy private investigator. The trailer also reveals that the infamous real-life serial killer the Night Stalker will play a role in the movie.
A24 releasedthe second trailer forMaxxxineon August 10, 2025. The 90-second preview opens with a fake trailer for “The Puritan II,” before cutting to the movie set where Maxine Minx is introduced to the movie’s star, Molly Bennett. The rest of the trailer shows Maxine being confronted by the private investigator while still being deeply haunted and disturbed by what happened to her in Texas.
What Is ‘MaXXXine’ About?
The official synopsis forMaxxxinefrom A24 reads:
In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx 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.
Set in 1985 Los Angeles, the movie is a direct sequel toX, following survivor Maxine as she continues to chase after fame. One clear thing is that Maxine “will not accept a life she doesn’t deserve,” and will stop at nothing to achieve that goal. The movie will continue to examine the influence that cinema has on society, specifically within the development of home video releases.
With the first film (X) being of the 70s slasher-style of horror, andPearlfollowing a more “Golden Age of Hollywood” approach, it’s safe to say we can expect a new style and sub-genre of horror to be explored inMaXXXine. Lead actress Mia Goth states that the story for this film, in her opinion, is the best out of the three. She also said that she viewed the story as a sort of “superhero story,” as her character has been through so much, but continues fighting. They do say that working in Hollywood can be a cut-throat industry…
In an interview,Ti West gave some details about howMaXXXinewill connect not just withXbut also withPearl:
“To round the whole thing out,MaXXXineas a sequel toXis fine.MaXXXineas part of a trilogy is infinitely more interesting, so that was part of the overall concept,” West said. “I think what’ll be fun inMaXXXine, I’m not going to tell you what it’s about, but what’s fun is it is an evolution of the character, in the way that you met Pearl inX, but then you get to know a different side of her inPearl. Yes, you have met Maxine. It is a continuation of Maxine, but she is at a very different point in her life. It’s going to be an interesting thing to catch up with her when we do, and to see Mia Goth in yet another way.”
Goth alsoteased the film’s stakessaying in an interview with Collider’s ownPerri Nemiroff:
“It’s just such a fun film. Ti, really, I don’t know how he does it. He’s just able to come up with these worlds. It’s just the biggest of the three movies. The stakes are the highest and Maxine has been through so much at this point.”
In an interview withEntertainment Weekly,West elaborated on the movie’s plot even more, saying:
“What people think it’s like making movies — or what people think Hollywood is versus what it is actually— is a big part of what’s happening in the movie. I guess ‘seeing behind the curtain’ is a thematic element.”
West promised that the movie would still be full of gruesome violence and gnarly kills, but he also said that the movie won’t be as predictable as fans of the franchise might expect, saying:
“But it’s going to zig instead of zag in a lot of places that people aren’t expecting. It’s a very decadent world that she lives in, and it’s a very aggressive world that she lives in, but the threat shows up in an unexpected way.”
Who Stars in ‘MaXXXine’?
Mia Goth will reprise her role as the titular character, Maxine. Goth was able to juggle three separate roles simultaneously asXandPearlwere filmed back-to-back, which speaks volumes about her abilities. She was most recently seen inBrandon Cronenberg’s horror film,Infinity Pool. Joining Goth in Hollywood will also beMichelle Monaghan,Giancarlo Esposito,Elizabeth Debicki,Lily Collins,Kevin Bacon,Bobby Cannavale,Halsey,MosesSumney, andSophie Thatcher. That’s a serious cast list, so let’s break down where you know them all from.
Michelle Monaghan and Bobby Cannavale will be playing Williams and Torres, two LA detectives investigating Maxine. Monaghan is best known for her roles inGone Baby Gone,True DetectiveSeason 1,Patriots Day,Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and theMission: Impossiblefranchise. Cannavale is most known for his role in television series such asBoardwalk Empire,The Watcher,Nine Perfect Strangers, andHomecoming. He has also starred in films such asThe Irishman,Old Dads,Blonde,Ant-Man, andJumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
While talking to Collider’sSteven Weintraubabout her movieThe Family Plan,Monaghan gave some details about shootingMaXXXine,saying:
We see Maxine now in a different decade. It’s the third installment of the franchise … We shot it in LA so that gives you a sense of where it is, where it’s set. It’s really an exciting film. I’m so proud. I’ve been a fan of [Ti West’s] work as a filmmaker for a long time, and obviously I love A24, so I’m really excited to have a project with them.
Giancarlo Esposito will play Teddy Knight, Maxine’s agent. Esposito became immensely popular with the emergence of his villainous character, Gus Fring, in the hit drama seriesBreaking Bad. He also stepped into theStar Warsfranchise as Moff Gideon inThe Mandalorian. He has also had roles in numerous other hit TV shows, such asThe BoysandThe Gentlemen.
Elizabeth Debicki stars as Elizabeth Bender, a director who works with Maxine. Debicki’s most notable credits includeThe Great Gatsby,Tenet,Widows, and theGuardians of the Galaxysequels. She also played Princess Diana in the final two seasons ofThe Crown.
Lily Collins will play Molly Bennett, a fellow actress inMaxxxine. Collins' credits include the popular Netflix seriesEmily in Paris, as well as movies such asWindfall,Mank,Okja, andExtremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.
Kevin Bacon will play John Labat, a mysterious private investigator who is stalking Maxine. Bacon hardly needs an introduction, he has a long resume of roles in horror films, dating all the way back to the originalFriday the 13th.
Halsey will play Tabby Martin, a friend of Maxine’s. She is best known for her singing career, but she did have her feature film debut as an actress in the movieIf I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power. That title alone makes it seem like she might be a fitting parallel to Goth’s character inMaXXXine.
Moses Sumney stars as Leon Green, a video store clerk. Sumney, who is also a musician, appeared in the 2015 filmCreedas a member of Bianca’s band. This isn’t the first time Ti West has cast an actor whose background is predominantly in the music industry, as Jackson Hole fromXwas played by Scott Mescudi, a.k.a. “Kid Cudi.”
Lastly,Sophie Thatcherwill appear in the film as a makeup artist who works with Maxine. Thatcher is most known for her role as Teen Natalie on the Emmy-nominated seriesYellowjackets. Her other acting credits include the 2023 horror movieThe Boogeymanand the Star Wars seriesThe Book of Boba Fett.
Who Is Making ‘MaXXXine’?
As was the case with the first two films, Ti West will be writing and directing the film. While Goth won’t be co-writing the screenplay as she did withPearl, she will serve as an executive producer. West will also serve as a producer alongsideJacob Jaffke,Harrison Kreiss, andKevin Turen, who all served as producers on the first two films as well. West, has also brought back most of his tech crew forMaxxxineincluding composerTyler Bates, cinematographerEliot Rockett, and sound designerKaren Baker Landers. West will also be serving as the editor of his movie. Newcomers to the franchise include production designerJason Kisvarday(Everything Everywhere All at Once) and costume designerMari-An Ceo(Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)).
When and Where Did ‘MaXXXine’ Film?
A24 announced on Twitter on June 25, 2025,that filming had officially commenced. Filming took place on location in Los Angeles, California.
What Will ‘Maxxxine’ Be Rated?
It shouldn’t come as too much of a shock to learn thatMaxxxinewill be rated R; much likeXandPearl were. The film received its MPA rating for “strong violence, gore, sexual content, graphic nudity, language and drug use.”
