I’ve covered enough directors’ pivots to know when one smells like a lifeline. Ti West, the guy who turned a Texas farm into a blood-soaked fever dream with X, now eyeing Scrooge? It’s the kind of news that hits like a half-remembered holiday special—charming in theory, baffling in execution. Paramount’s backing it, per the grid, but no official greenlight yet. Just whispers of shoots across the Atlantic, where the fog rolls thick and the ghosts might actually show up on time.
West’s been clear: the “X” saga is done. Back in May 2024, right before MaXXXine dropped, he floated the idea of a fourth chapter—something to keep Mia Goth‘s Maxine lurking in the shadows. The film hit theaters that July, and… well, it didn’t exactly scream encore. Critics called it a slog, audiences shrugged, and by his AMA a few months later—in the fall of ’24, if memory serves—West shut it down flat. “Done,” he said. No more porn-star slashers, no more meta winks at ’80s excess. The trilogy felt sealed anyway, even if MaXXXine dragged its heels to the finish line, all neon haze and half-baked chases.
Not that the suits upstairs agree with me on the weak link. Pearl, though—that’s the one that lingers. Mia Goth chewing scenery in technicolor, West dialing up the dread like a warped Busby Berkeley routine. It was original, unhinged, the kind of film that sticks because it doesn’t beg for sequels. MaXXXine? Felt like the morning after, all regret and reheated fries.
Variety’s Owen Gleiberman nailed it in his review: West’s a good filmmaker, but he needs to quit “reconfiguring trash” and shoot for A-grade ideas in A-grade packages. Paul Schrader echoed that in a sharper jab, calling West talented and imaginative yet boxed in by subgenre ruts. Fair points—I’ve seen too many directors chase the dragon of diminishing returns. At 43, West has the mileage to break free, but the industry’s a meat grinder. Lately, I’ve caught wind of him pitching Scream Queen, a passion project that’s got that raw, unfranchised edge. So this Scrooge listing? It jars. Is it Ebenezer’s redemption arc, or just a paycheck wrapped in ghosts?
West thrives on originals. Rewatch The House of the Devil—that slow-burn satanic panic, all creaky houses and Karen Black callbacks—or In a Valley of Violence, where he lets Ethan Hawke simmer in a spaghetti western potboiler. Range like that doesn’t come from holiday gigs, unless you’re Robert Zemeckis, and even he phoned it in with his Polar Express mo-cap mess. If Scrooge is real, fine—Paramount could use a jolt after their string of reboots. But I’d bet on West dodging the tinsel for something thornier. He’s got the eye for shadows that could make Marley’s chains rattle like nobody’s business. Or maybe it’s a feint, buying time for that Scream Queen script to land.
Either way, it’s a reminder: directors like West don’t need franchises to haunt us. They need room to swing.
Ti West’s ‘Scrooge’ Riddle: 5 Clues to Watch
‘X’ Trilogy’s Firm Close
West confirmed the saga’s end in a fall 2024 AMA, months after teasing a fourth film in May—just before MaXXXine‘s July release fizzled with mixed reviews.
Critic Calls for Elevation
Gleiberman urges West beyond “trash reconfiguration,” while Schrader praises his imagination but faults subgenre limits—echoing why Pearl shone brighter than its sequel.
Pearl’s Lasting Glow
Goth’s technicolor terror in the prequel proved West’s flair for atmospheric dread, a high-water mark that MaXXXine couldn’t chase.
Scream Queen Whispers
Insider buzz points to this as West’s true passion play, making the Scrooge grid feel like an outlier amid his hunt for fresh financing.
Originals as Anchor
Films like The House of the Devil and In a Valley of Violence highlight West’s versatility outside franchises—proof at 43 he’s primed for bold swings.
What do you make of West ditching the gore for ghosts? Drop your takes in the comments, or hit me up on X for more on directors dodging the sequel trap. Check back soon—Hollywood’s full of these curveballs.
