The Big Picture

• MaXXXine, the third installment in Ti West's X trilogy, set to hit theaters on July 5, starring Mia Goth.
• X, the first film in the trilogy, received a 94% approval rating from critics and earned over $14 million on a $1 million budget.
• Pearl, the prequel to X, also received critical praise but grossed $9.7 million worldwide on a $1 million budget.

Less than two months ahead of release, one of A24's most anticipated new projects just got an exciting new update. In an exclusive interview with Total Film, which also revealed a new look at the film, director Ti West sat down to talk about the third installment in his X horror trilogy, MaXXXine. West sung the movie's praises by calling it "very rich," and was also quoted as saying MaXXXine has "a Terminator-like aesthetic to a Paul Schrader Hardcore thing to Vice Squad to Gallo."

MaXXXine is slated to hit theaters on July 5, and is set to conclude Mia Goth's partnership with writer/director West in the X trilogy. The first film, X, stars Goth, scream queen Jenna Ortega, and Kid Cudi, and the second film, Pearl — a prequel to the first — also stars Goth, but features an ensemble cast of Superman actor David Corenswet, Tandi Wright, and Matthew Sunderland. Both Hardcore and Vice Squad are late 70s/early 80s crime thrillers, which sets an interesting potential tone for the movie when juxtaposed with the time-traveling dystopian sci-fi flick, The Terminator.

How Have the Films in the ‘X’ Franchise Performed Critically and Financially?

As the first entry into the trilogy, which was released on March 18, 2022, West's X premiered to universal acclaim from both critics and audiences, earning a "certified fresh" 94% approval rating from critics and an accompanying 74% score from general audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. The film also grossed more than $11 million domestically and nearly $3 million overseas for a worldwide total of just over $14 million, which may not sound like much in an era of multi-million dollar blockbusters, but this was all on a $1 million budget, meaning X grossed more than 14x its budget at the box office.

As for the prequel, which was released shortly after X, Pearl also received the same love from critics with even more appreciation from general audiences, debuting on Rotten Tomatoes with a nearly identical 93% critics score and an improved 84% audience rating. Pearl did not find the same success as its predecessor X at the box office, grossing $9 million in the U.S. and only a few hundred thousand overseas, bringing its worldwide total to $9.7 million. Fortunately for A24, the movie also only cost $1 million, meaning it was still a profitable endeavor.

MaXXXine arrives in theaters on July 5. Check out the new image above and watch the first installment in the trilogy, X, on Netflix.