LOS ANGELES -- XBIZ Award-winning director Axel Braun announced Friday that he has signed an exclusive, two-year contract with Wicked Pictures.The deal comes on the heels of two weeks of speculation about his next move.
“I heard all sorts of crazy rumors, which I guess is kinda flattering," Braun said. "The truth is that I really like the way Wicked operates and I genuinely respect the positive message that they send within the industry, so it was an easy choice. I’m very happy to have found both an awesome new home for my product and an exceptionally creative environment where I can make the movies I want.”
As part of the deal, Braun is bringing the entire catalog of his namesake company Axel Braun Productions, including his award-winning parody "Batman XXX," along with his exclusive contract girls Aiden Ashley and Riley Steele.
“Axel is at the top of his game,” Wicked owner Steve Orenstein said. “We are absolutely thrilled to add him to our extraordinary team of directors, and look forward to watch him bring to life all the amazing projects he has planned for Wicked.”
The Braun deal is a coup for Wicked, which also recently signed 2012 XBIZ Female Performer of the Year, Asa Akira.
“Being able to tap into Wicked’s roster of contract performers is pretty awesome,” said Braun, who is especially excited about Jessica Drake. “I literally have at least half a dozen feature scripts that I wrote over the past few years where the lead is a 'Jessica Drake type'…now I can actually shoot them with the real one!”
Drake, the longest tenured Wicked Girl who has been the face of the company, remarked, “Axel is a great addition to the Wicked family. He is clearly the king of the parody genre, and I am looking forward to collaborating with him on many projects--from original features to parodies and beyond. I am always inspired by hard working, creative people who love what they do, and I can't wait to see what we can create together.”
Braun was to quick to praise his new fellow Wicked directors: “Being on the same directing team as Brad Armstrong, Jonathan Morgan, and Stormy Daniels is quite a thrill. I just saw Brad’s latest epic, 'Underworld,' and was literally blown away by how stunning it looks. When somebody can operate at such a high level as Brad has for so long, you know it’s not just about skills and vision, but also about drive and passion, and I have tremendous respect and appreciation for that.”
“Having Axel join the Wicked Team is an exciting moment,” Armstrong said. “We've always had a friendly competition between us. Most years, he and I have the lion's share of the parody/feature nominations, and being under the same umbrella will make Wicked Pictures an unstoppable force in the adult industry.”
Braun’s first ABP release through Wicked will be the Riley Steele showcase movie "Riley Goes Gonzo," scheduled to premiere in December. And while details on the director’s first Wicked feature are still under wraps, if Braun gets his wish it will star Drake.
