Ti West and A24 pulled off an exciting surprise on Thursday night, treating a group of unsuspecting horror fans to an early screening of their upcoming slasher movie, Maxxxine.
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| Mia Goth in 'MaXXXXine' A24/JUSTIN LUBIN |
The event was advertised as a double feature of West’s X horror series, featuring X and Pearl, the films that introduced Mia Goth as Hollywood’s latest killer queen.
The sold-out gathering attracted film enthusiasts and horror buffs of all kinds, with some attendees dressed as Pearl, others sporting Pearl T-shirts, and a few donning shirts adorned with logos and characters from various franchises, including X-Men and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's Rick Dalton.
During a Q&A session between the screenings moderated by Lily Collins, who also appears in Maxxxine, the tone shifted unexpectedly. Collins first asked how many in the audience had seen Pearl, and nearly all raised their hands. She then posed a rhetorical question: if everyone had already seen Pearl, why watch it again when they could experience Maxxxine instead?
The crowd cheered in agreement, although it was clear they didn't think she was serious. When West confirmed that they were about to watch Maxxxine for the first time, the audience erupted with wild cheers, whistles, gasps, and some covering their mouths in surprise.
"Just don't spoil it," West playfully cautioned amidst the excitement.
It was supposed to be an X & PEARL double feature but during a Q&A, filmmaker Ti West pulls a fast one, saying the crowd won’t be watching Pearl but rather his upcoming film, MAXXXINE. Crowd goes wild… pic.twitter.com/zVC4tbCons
— Borys Kit (@Borys_Kit) June 21, 2024
Before the surprise screening, Ti West shared insights into directing the trilogy, including the unique experience of filming during the pandemic. He also discussed the challenges of shooting Mia Goth in her dual role in X and reminisced about a memorable lake scene involving eels, which he didn't inform actor Kid Cudi about. West even teased the possibility of a movie set between X and Pearl, suggesting that anything is possible in the future.
The X franchise became unexpected successes for A24, praised by critics and horror enthusiasts while raking in profits. X, released in March 2022, paid homage to 1970s backwoods horror and the era's pornographic films, all while exploring themes of aging and lost beauty. Filmed concurrently with minimal fanfare, Pearl, a prequel to X, arrived in September 2022. Reminiscent of a Douglas Sirk melodrama, Pearl delved into a woman's insatiable hunger for fame and stardom.
Both films, particularly Pearl, served as breakout roles for Goth, who portrays multiple characters within the series. Now, she returns in Maxxxine, set in the VHS-fueled Hollywood of the mid-1980s. The surviving character from the first film finds herself working in the booming porn industry on the verge of a major career leap. However, her past threatens to resurface.
