Summary
- Lawsuit alleges Mia Goth kicked a background actor in the head while filming the final movie in Ti West’s horror trilogy.
- Hunter claims he experienced a concussion and pain after the alleged kick and was taunted by Goth afterwards.
- Hunter is suing for battery and wrongful termination, seeking $500,000 in damages from Goth, A24, and Ti West.
A24, Ti West, and Mia Goth are at the center of a new lawsuit that alleges the MaXXXine star kicked a background actor in the head while filming the final movie in West’s horror trilogy. The suit was brought on Friday, January 12 by James Hunter, who was hired for three days of work to portray a “Dead Parishioner.” The incident occurred on his first day of filming, and in addition to the assault, Hunter is also suing for wrongful termination, as he was not asked to return to work for the remaining two days in his contract.
According to Hunter, the alleged incident took place in April 2023. Per Rolling Stone, in his role he was required to lay on the ground for several hours in a robe and fake blood, “enduring ants and mosquitoes.” Goth was supposed to either run past him, or step over him, look down, and keep running. During the fourth take of the scene, the star nearly stepped on him, causing Hunter to relay his concerns to the second assistant director, who in turn told Mia Goth. On the fifth take, Hunter claims that Goth “intentionally kicked the plaintiff in the head with her boot,” which caused him to “immediately experience headache and stiffness in his neck.”
Hunter also claims in the lawsuit that after they were done filming, he was in the bathroom when Mia Goth entered and “taunted, mocked and belittled” him, daring him to do something about the alleged kick. He also claims that upon driving home he felt lightheaded and had to pull to the side of the road twice, and later learned that he had suffered a concussion. In addition to the pain in his head, Hunter also alleges that the fake blood that had dried on his robe caused him pain when it was removed.
Hunter says that he told the assistant director about his injury, who passed the information on to Mia Goth and director Ti West, but he was not offered any type of medical assistance. He was informed by his casting agency in an email the following day that he was removed from the production. The lawsuit accuses Goth of battery, and A24, Goth, and Ti West of wrongful termination. Hunter is seeking $500,000 dollars in damages.
When Will MaXXXine Be Released?
Following the release of X and Pearl in 2022, fans have eagerly been awaiting the release of MaXXXine, which sees Mia Goth reprise her role of Maxine in the third installment of Ti West’s acclaimed horror trilogy. Filming for the movie took seven weeks, and while principal photography is complete, the movie remains in post-production. It has not been given a release date by A24, though it is expected to premiere at some point in 2024.
While plot details are scarce at this time, it is known that MaXXXine serves as a direct sequel to X, and follows Goth’s character in 1985 Los Angeles as she pursues her dreams of becoming a famous actress. In addition to Goth, the film will also feature Halsey, Giancarlo Esposito as an adult film agent, and Kevin Bacon as a private investigator. It is expected to receive a theatrical release, and will later be available to stream on MAX thanks to a deal struck between A24 and Warner Bros. Discovery in December 2023 that gives MAX the rights to stream all of A24’s movies upon completion of their theatrical window.
Though an official trailer has yet to be released for MaXXXine, A24 has released a teaser for the film, which is available to watch below.
