Ti West’s trilogy-capperMaXXXineis hitting the big screen on Friday, July 5, and the marketing machine is ramping up. For instance, the cast is making the rounds chatting with various publications. This includesGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’sElizabeth Debicki, who sat down with Colliderand discussed her experience making the film, including who she came to associate with her character, Liz Bender.
In the film, Bender is the only director willing to take a risk by hiring Mia Goth’s Maxine Minx. Whether it was intentional in the script or not, it only makes sense that Debicki saw her auteur character as reminiscent ofMaXXXine’s director himself: Ti West. It’s fitting,given the meta aspect of West’s trilogy, that the character which gives Goth’s character her big break would be based on the director who gave the real Goth her biggest character to date, Maxine Minx. While she was already an established presence in the industry, if it wasn’t forX,Pearl, orMaXXXine, it’s unlikely Goth would have beenswept up by Marvel forBlade. Bender explained the similarity:
“He’ll probably hate me saying this, but there’s a little bit of Ti in Liz, I think. Ti is a very smart director who understands thathorror is an excellent Trojan horse for messaging and for performance, for giving people opportunities for truly juicy acting work.”
In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx lands her big break, but her rise to stardom is jeopardized by a mysterious killer targeting starlets. As the body count rises, secrets from Maxine’s past threaten to surface, intertwining her quest for fame with a deadly game of survival.
Elizabeth Debicki on Making MaXXXine: ‘This Is the Best Job’
It’s nice to see Debicki, who broke into the mainstream via her work in Baz Luhrmann’sThe Great Gatsby, have such positive things to say about not only West, but the merits of horror in general. On top of calling the production ofMaXXXineone of her most pleasant experiences in the film industry thus far, Debicki had a lot to say about her character. As one of the most ranged performers of her generation, she managed to find quite a lot to work with when it came to Bender:
“She’s sort of an accumulation of a toughness that’s come out of having to fight really, really hard to be where you are, and I think I identify with that. Most people in the business, it’s like, people’s careers can look like a linear ascent, but they’re not. They’re always an up and down, full of vulnerability. So, I found it quite cathartic.”
MaXXXine Review: Dismembering and Deconstructing Horror and Fame in the ’80s
Director Ti West and star Mia Goth strike again for a fitting conclusion to their A24 horror trilogy, though Pearl might still take the cake.
And, again, Debicki seemed to have an overall terrific time working with Goth, West, and the remainder ofMaXXXine’s cast and crew. According to her, she went into it with an open mind and an open heart, and the experience was all the better for that mentality.
“Sometimes I think we can work really hard but without joy. And I had the best time making that film. I was like, ‘This is the best job!We’re driving around Universal, I have amazing shoulder pads, the dialogue is fabulous, Mia is amazing!‘I was like ‘This is so much fun!’ I really let myself enjoy my days on that movie. I think I’m gonna do that more.”
So, in short, working with West and Goth onMaXXXinewasn’t just a positive individual experience for Debicki, but has partially reshaped how she’ll go into future projects. The production ofMaXXXinewasn’t entirely free of controversy, but it seems that, for the most part, it was an incredible experience for most people involved. Here’s hoping that translates to box office success whenMaXXXinehits theaters Fourth of July weekend.
