Ti West Has Already Finished Shooting A Prequel For His Slasher Film X

Get ready for a new horror franchise, because Ti West's "X" is getting a prequel! The film was shot in secret in New Zealand and is currently in pre-production, and the first footage for "Pearl" was unveiled last night after the world premiere of "X" at the SXSW film festival.

This news is significant in a few ways. For one, "X" marks Ti West's first horror movie in almost a decade, so the fact that he's not stopping at one film makes this special. Second, the prequel is set to center round the rise of a female horror villain (and a fantastic one at that), a rare but welcomed move in the genre. Third, this is the very first prequel A24 is producing and releasing, and just the second time they make a continuation to one of their films, after "The Souvenir Part 2." That the indie film company would choose to make this their very first franchise means it has to be something special and widely appealing.

SPOILER warning! While the following doesn't really reveal anything related to the plot of "X," there will be behind-the-scenes details discussed below. If you want to go in completely blind, this is your final warning.

Right after the world premiere of "X," audiences were treated to what at first seems like a fun behind-the-scenes video about the cast. But then the clock starts going back, and the year changes from 1979 to 1918, and we see the main villain of the film, Pearl, as a young woman on the Texas countryside. Honestly, when I watched the footage last night I thought it was a joke, a fun treat for fans rather than a proper trailer. Not that it was a bad trailer — it ruled actually — but when was the last time we got a trailer for a surprise new film right as the credits rolled for the first one?

In any case, the trailer shows Pearl as a young woman obsessed with gaining fame and recognition, while also murdering a whole lot of people in gruesome ways. There are even a couple of shots that feel like homages to A24's other films like "Midsommar," and rest assured, the kills look just as gory.

Before the world premiere of "X," Fangoria talked to Ti West, where he revealed some details about the upcoming prequel. Though it isn't clear in the film, the old and murderous Pearl is actually played by Mia Goth, who pulls double acting duties in the film. West said: 

"I think she understood the duality of the two different characters, she got what the parallels were between them, and she understood what the vibe differences were, too. Mia really understood the contrast of it all and she just was raring to go. And that's what I needed. I just wanted someone that was just going to take a big swing at these performances, and I just believed her. I think Mia's super talented and she proved it in these two movies. Plus, I love that with the character of Pearl that Mia was able to create a villain character that wasn't going to be a normal villain, and I love how she gave this character some humanity to her which is what that movie [Pearl] hangs on. Mia completely nailed these characters in both movies."

"X" will slash its way into theaters on Friday March 18, 2022. You can catch the first footage for "Pearl" following the screening.