Image Credit: Disney
Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
Mia Goth as Pearl hugging a scarecrow
Image via A24

‘Pearl’ director isn’t ruling out a fourth installment in the acclaimed horror saga

We have the beginnings of another 'Halloween' franchise on our hands.

Ti West has delivered another hair-raising, gore-filled technicolor spectacle in Pearl, the prequel to the critically acclaimed modern-day slasher, X. In association with A24, X released in March 2022, impressed at the box office, and was praised for its direction, cinematography, and Mia Goth’s dual performances. A third installment in the franchise and a sequel to X, MaXXXine, is currently in the works, but West isn’t rejecting the possibility of a fourth film.

Recommended Videos

Inspired by the likes of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), West’s X follows filmmakers and actors who rent out an elderly couple’s property in rural Texas to shoot an X-rated film, though soon discover that their hosts have disturbing intentions. X was shot back-to-back with its prequel, Pearl, which chronicles the origin story of Goth’s now-famous titular villain as she dreams of becoming a Hollywood sensation and will do whatever it takes to see her name in lights.

Speaking to The Wrap, West has now teased a fourth installment, all while deep-diving into the X trilogy and explaining that while each film correlates with one another, X, Pearl, and MaXXXine can also function as standalone stories. Additionally, he reveals that Pearl and MaXXXine were conceived at the same time, but while A24 jumped at the prospect of MaXXXine, West insisted that an origin story was necessary to tie up some loose ends in continuity and character.

“At the moment, I do not have plans for part four. However, I have an idea…. Let’s see how “MaXXXine” goes. There’s an intriguing spinoff that would make sense if I was insane. But I don’t have plans to. When I had the “Pearl” idea, I had the “MaXXXine” idea at the same time. And so I sold the “MaXXXine” idea to A24 and they really liked it and they were like, “We want to do that.” And I was always like, “Yeah, but we have to go back before we can go forward.

Because “MaXXXine” as a sequel to “X” is fine. “MaXXXine” as part of a trilogy about these characters is infinitely more interesting. And by “Pearl” going back and going way into a different aesthetic and showing everybody how these movies can be connected but can be standalones and be radically different, “MaXXXine” does the same thing. It does a different thing, but “Pearl” now gives you context for how “MaXXXine” could be wildly different than “X,” which it is.”

Although co-existing with X, which takes place in the late seventies/early eighties, Pearl takes us all the way back to 1918. Referencing cult classics like The Wizard of Oz and paying homage to the golden age of Hollywood, Pearl borrows its aesthetic from iconic director Douglas Sirk, who often worked with mises-en-scène and eye-popping technicolor in successful melodramas such as A Time to Love and a Time to Die and Imitation of Life.

It isn’t too late to catch Pearl in select theaters, but it won’t be long before the blood-soaked prequel makes it to streaming services. While we’ve yet to be given an official word on MaXXXine‘s release, the likelihood is early 2023.


We Got This Covered is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Chynna Wilkinson
Chynna Wilkinson
Chynna has been a noteworthy presence within creative media for over seven years. As a self-proclaimed geek driven by a passion for horror, comic books, video games, and modern cinema, she takes pride in doing what she loves. In addition to her personal writing projects, Chynna is also an award-winning screenwriter, published poet, and accomplished academic writer, producing everything from short stories and screenplays to articles, features, and poetry. She enjoys watching anime, horror movies, and animated shows and her life revolves around cinema, video games, and tasteful literature.