Horror fans are less than two months away untilMaXXXinekills its way to theaters. The next chapter inTi West’sXFranchiseis set to return the focus toMia Goth’s Maxine in 1980s Hollywood. West has previously teased that the murder mystery is thematically about theharsh reality of Tinseltown. Now, with the latest threatening image, West doubles down on the darkside of Hollywood.
Exclusively released byEmpire Magazineas a part of theirDeadpool & Wolverineissue, the new atmospheric shot seesGoth’s Maxine armed and pointing a gun at something off-screen. She looks unfazed by whatever it is that’s following her in the dead of night. The character being lit up by Hollywood’s neon lights are also a reminder ofMaXXXine’s themes and the era the film takes place. “A big part of the aesthetic of the movie is the shiny parts of Hollywood [versus] theseedy parts of Hollywood,” West would tell Empire. “The shiny type of movies that are made, and then the sleazy or low-budget type of movies that are made. In the same way thatPearl’s Technicolor-adjacent vibeis part of the aesthetic, this is more influenced by the aesthetic of both A- and B-movies in the1980s.” The previous two films in theXtrilogy were very “old-school” practical nightmares, which is going to continue with MaXXXine. “We just did everything the way you would always traditionally do it,” West would tease. “There’s not a lot of modern trickery with it —mostly it’s the same way you would have made it back then, with the same equipment.”
What’s ‘MaXXXine‘ About?
Taking place six years after the horrific events ofXin 1985, Maxine has finally made it to Hollywood. She has been given a chance to star in a major horror sequel,The Puritan II, from filmmaker Elizabeth Bender. This is despite her adult film background. Maxine is finally becoming astar. However,when a private investigator arrives on the scene to hunt her down and multiple women end up dead around the rising actress, getting the attention of two LA Detectives, Maxine’s career may be over before it begins. This murder mystery also has the backdrop of the real-life serial killer, “The Night Stalker”. While there’s thepossibility of moreXfilmsin the future, the Maxine-era of the franchise looks to come to a close with this installment.
When Does ‘MaXXXine’ Release?
MaXXXineis hitting theaters onJuly 5, 2024. Even though many movies over the last decade have tried to recapture the nostalgic “dorky ‘80s” feeling, West has promised this isn’t one of those experiences. “Terminatoris just as much an ‘80s movie asThe Breakfast Club. It is full of things that are referential to the trilogy as a whole — like, to an absurd degree,” West would finish by saying, “People will go, ‘That red light, it’s Argento!’ But it’s more, there’s not a scene inMaXXXinethat does not have somesubtext related to the [trilogy]as a whole.” Along with Goth,MaXXXinestarsElizabeth Debicki, Lily Collins, Kevin Bacon, Halsey, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Sophie Thatcher, and Giancarlo Esposito.
In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally secures her big break. As she navigates her path to stardom, a mysterious killer begins targeting Hollywood starlets, leaving a trail of blood that threatens to expose her sinister past.
