A24 has just released the new trailer for MaXXXine, the third installment of Ti West’s horror trilogy. The film brings back Mia Goth, the star of X and Pearl, for the next chapter of the saga. 

“In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break,” reads the official synopsis for the A24 horror movie. “But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.”

Joining Goth in the upcoming slasher are several recognizable faces, including actors Kevin Bacon, Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Lily Collins, and Giancarlo Esposito, as well as singer-songwriters Moses Sumney and Halsey. 

MaXXXine has been one of the most anticipated movies of 2024 for all slasher lovers. In 2022, Ti West joined the legendary Alfred Hitchcock, Ingmar Bergman, and Spike Lee by releasing two films in a single year, just like them, setting the bar for himself high.

Mia, The Star

In Ti West’s film X , Goth stunned as she took on the dual roles of Maxine — a wide-eyed girl who would do anything to make it big, as well as a jealous, murderous old woman who longs for her long gone youth, named Pearl. Goth’s fascinating performance of the two characters left the lingering feeling that these women were a dark mirror of one another, destined to be destroyed by the same desires. And that was just the beginning of the Mia Goth phenomenon.

The “star is born” narrative has become an American mythology in its own right — a young girl is plucked out of her humdrum life to share her talents and live amongst the stars. It is the dream circulated by Hollywood from its earliest days — its own version of the original American Dream. 

Mia, The Muse

Ti West’s psychological horror film Pearl, co-written with the leading actress Mia Goth distorts this image of stardom, as it follows a troubled young woman who is obsessed with these fairytales of fame to nightmarish ends. 

 “I find writing to be unpleasant, so the faster I can get it done, the better,” West shared for The Hollywood Reporter over Zoom. Pearl was written during a two-week hotel quarantine in New Zealand.

If Pearl was written in a rush, we would never know. In a glowing review of Pearl, Martin Scorsese referred to Goth as West’s “muse and creative partner”. “Muse” is an interesting term – is it accurate? 

“I don’t know. I’m definitely trying to create opportunities for her in all three movies, to show different sides of not just the character but Mia and her ability,” West says.

“To know [that] the lead of a movie is willing to basically do whatever to make the movie is a good feeling. That inspires the confidence to push things. Movies like Pearl and MaXXXine can be just that little bit wilder than they would have been otherwise. And that’s fun.”

Mia, The Horror Queen

While there is something entirely unique about Goth, she equally strikes comparisons with other classic horror queens, such as Shelley Duvall. Just like Duvall, who has also contributed to the horror genre with her scene-stealing performance as Wendy in The Shining, Goth has an unconventional look and quirkiness that make her perfect for the genre. As such, Mia fairly serves as an advocate of horror films.

Given Pearl’s raving reception, fans were sad to see it shut out of the Oscars. A sad news, albeit not surprising: the Academy has never warmed to horror. Goth herself recently responded to the snub, stating that “change is necessary” and that the awards are “very political”. 

Will MaXXXine be that change? Watch the trailer below and decide for yourself: