This might not be the end of Ti West's popular A24 horror franchise. His trilogy, which started with “X” and then “Pearl,” is set to be completed later this summer with “MaXXXine.”
In a recent interview, West had mentioned that he had “one weird asterisk idea” for a fourth film in the series. He didn’t give much detail on it, but he’s said to have outlined a rough draft to make it happen.
Speaking to EW, West confirms that “MaXXXine” will “probably be the end of the Maxine era," but there's a chance the films could expand beyond a trilogy. "I do have one idea that plays into these movies that could maybe happen," he mentions. "I don't know if it'll be next. It might be."
He added, "I'll say that, if there's more to be done in this ‘X’ franchise, it's certainly not what people are expecting it to be. It's not just picking up again a few years later and whatever. It's different in the way that '“Pearl” was an unexpected departure. It's another unexpected departure."
We can theorize what this fourth film might be — could it follow Pearl (Mia Goth) after the events of the 2022 film? There is an untackled amount of time in between the events of “Pearl” in 1918, and “X” in 1979. I certainly want more “Pearl” than “X,” it was the better film of the two.
Regardless, West has made a career out of deconstructing the horror genre with films such as “The House of the Devil,” “The Innkeepers,” and “The Sacrament.” The 43-year-old filmmaker actually made the best film of his career in 2016, the ultra-underrated “In a Valley of Violence,” by delving into the Western genre with Ethan Hawke, John Travolta, and Taissa Farmiga.
Netflix and Skydance Animation have also called it quits. The two sides announced Monday that they're ending the animated film deal struck back in 2023, framing it as a mutual decision.