Actor Kevin Bacon is set to join the all-star cast of "MaXXXine," the third installment of A24's horror film franchise. Production is expected to begin this spring.
The upcoming movie follows Maxine, played by Mia Goth, as she tries to make it as an actress in Los Angeles in the 1980s, Deadline reported. Last year, A24 released "X," in which Maxine watches her pornography-producing friends be murdered by an elderly couple, one of whom is played by Goth. In "Pearl," also released in 2022, audiences got a glimpse of the villain's origin story, which dates back to the 1910s.
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Bacon, a Philadelphia native who most recently starred in the final season of Showtime's "City on a Hill," joins a cast that includes Halsey, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito, Michelle Monaghan, Elizabeth Debicki, Bobby Cannavale and Moses Sumney. Goth is reprising her role as Maxine and serving as an executive producer.
The movie does not yet have a release date.
Ti West, who was born in Wilmington, Delaware, is the director of the "X" series. The first film marked his return to directing. He previously had directed "In A Valley of Violence," starring Ethan Hawke, Taissa Farmiga and John Travolta, in 2016. West also is writing the screenplay for "MaXXXine."
Each of the "X" movies explores a different development in cinematic history. In "X," West examines the prevalence of new age cinema through the lens of pornographic film in the 1970s. In "Pearl," West details the impacts of the Old Hollywood era. "MaXXXine" focuses on the advent of home entertainment, IndieWire reported.
The series has been a box office boon, with "X" grossing more than $13 million worldwide and "Pearl" earning $3.3 million in its first weekend, Variety reported. Both films were met with positive reviews and received ratings of more than 90% on Rotten Tomatoes following their releases.
Bacon, 64, is no stranger to the horror genre. Following his appearance in "Friday the 13th" in 1980, he starred in a variety of horror flicks, including the "Tremors" series and, most recently, "They/Them," a slasher film released on Peacock last year.
His most recent foray into television was "City on a Hill," which was canceled by Showtime after three seasons last fall.
@kevinbacon The goats aren’t big runners, but they dig this song @lizzymcalpine #Ceilings #GoatSongs ♬ original sound - Kevin Bacon
Earlier this week, Bacon put his own spin on "ceilings," the Lizzy McAlpine hit song that has inspired a popular TikTok trend. In a video posted to his social media accounts, Bacon performed an acoustic version of the song while his goats hung around in the background.
The musician also appeared recently on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" to talk about TikTok trends and perform his rendition of "Paint It Black" by The Rolling Stones.
Bacon will make a brief return to Philadelphia later this month with his brother, Michael, to receive a plaque on the Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame for their work as the folk rock duo The Bacon Brothers. They will be celebrated with a ceremony and gala on April 20. Tickets can be purchased here.