2023 continues to be another wonderful year for the horror genre, but for many slasher fans it’s been hard to get Ti West and Mia Goth’s masterpieces, X and Pearl, out of our blood-soaked minds. The first two parts of West’s X trilogy took the horror community by storm in 2022, and now it has been confirmed that its final part, MaXXXine, has started filming.

This comes via A24’s Twitter account which posted the simple message “Day 1 #MaXXXine”. Accompanying the message was a sunny California license plate with the suggestive title front and center. This comes off last week’s casting announcement for the horror film. Joining Goth’s Maxine is Lily Collins, Kevin Bacon, Giancarlo Esposito, Elizabeth Debicki, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey, Michelle Monaghan, and Moses Sumney.
COLLIDER VIDEO OF THE DAYSCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT

The X Trilogy So Far
When X released in March of last year, horror fans had no idea the crazy franchise it would become. On the surface, it was a grindhouse slasher return to the days of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Tourist Trap. It followed a group of adult filmmakers in 1979, led by Goth’s Maxine, who rented out an older couple’s, Howard and Pearl, farmhouse to make a porno for the ages. However, Pearl (also played by Goth) quickly gets jealous of Maxine’s “American Dream” aspirations as she had her own dreams of becoming a star when she was younger. This causes Pearl to go on a murderous rampage.

What appeared to just be another take on a hard-R sex heavy slasher couldn’t have been any further from the truth when it came to X. The amazing kills and thrills we come to expect from a slasher are definitely there, but what this film said about broken dreams, how the older generations unfairly look down on the youth, and how America consumes the horror genre made X an instant classic. Especially with Goth’s brilliantly creepy duel performance as Maxine and Pearl. Two sides of the same tragic coin, Goth was Oscar-worthy and gave one of the best performances the horror genre had ever seen.

RELATED: Mia Goth Says ‘MaXXXine’ Is the Best Script In Ti West’s ‘X’ Trilogy

Then there was Pearl, which was our new favorite killer’s maddening origin story. Taking place in 1918, fans go back to Pearl’s roots and her unhealthy quest to become the world’s greatest dancer. If X was all about how the older generation judges their younger peers, then Pearl is all about how youth culture does the exact same thing. Pearl was a gleeful horror version of The Wizard of Oz and a cautionary tale of what happens when our dreams consume us. West and Goth up their game for this masterful prequel. The fact that Goth didn’t get nominated for her work in Pearl, a film she co-wrote with West, is something the horror community will never forgive the Oscars for.

When Does MaXXXine Release?
MaXXXine does not have a confirmed release date yet, but it’s coming soon. Since the film has officially started shooting, it’s a safe bet that this sequel will be in theaters by early 2024 and the license plate in the new image could even be hinting at a possible October premiere date. MaXXXine will follow back up with Goth’s Maxine in the 80s after her deadly showdown with Pearl. It appears she made it to Hollywood and became a star, something that Pearl sadly never did. The film will also thematically follow the VHS boom of the 80s. While horror fans anxiously await Goth and West’s X trilogy capper, you can view MaXXXine’s announcement teaser down below.