LOS ANGELES — Angela White and Maitland Ward topline the “dark and provocative" new feature “Drive,” written, produced and directed by Kayden Kross for her Deeper.com label.
Kross is the reigning XBIZ Awards winner for Feature Director of the Year. “Drive” hits the asphalt today.
The “hard-hitting” erotic drama, a rep notes, follows White as her curated, managed life unravels following an encounter with a mystic (Ward). The storyline follows the classic five stages of grief — denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance — as Ward entangles White in an agenda of her own.
Kross began developing the storyline-driven concept earlier this year. "I wanted to make a movie that felt like it had real stakes. There are enough suburban stories exploring insignificant problems as a way of stumbling into sex,” she said. “I wanted something that felt bigger than that, something that was universal and experimental and brave enough to take itself seriously. A lot has been written on taboos as a common ground between death and sexuality, and there are already the obvious connections between the two within the cycle of life. ‘Drive’ explores this intriguing relationship. What I love about this project is that the explicit hardcore pieces assembled and captured for the film complement rather than slow down this exploration.”
White praised Kross’ ability to interweave storyline and sex. “‘Drive’ is an unrivaled example of how a highly intelligent script can add significantly to the power and passion of a scene,” she said. “Kayden’s determination to compromise neither story nor sex when developing a project is the signature of Deeper.”
Kross tailored the role in “Drive” specifically for White, building on acclaimed prior collaborations. “We talked about real hang-ups, personal insecurities, the true things that are Angela off-camera and wove them into Angela on-camera," she said. "She is one of the rare adult stars who can carry a role completely, and I knew if we tapped into such personal things we would get an extremely personal performance.”
The filmmaker notes the serendipitous casting of Ward. “She came across my radar at the exact time we needed her to. I met Maitland at a coffee shop and within an hour had her signed to the project. I kept saying I needed someone who could act — really act — because anything less would just look silly given the role, and lo-and-behold, an accomplished, stunning, statuesque actress shows up out of nowhere. She sounded too good to be true.”
Ward appreciated the opportunity to dig into a character. “As an actress, I appreciate Kayden as a visionary who elevates adult entertainment to the heights it can be,” she said. “It was such an amazing experience to work on a production that brings such a creative vision to life. My character was like none I’ve played and Kayden got me to this powerfully dark and sensual place that I’m excited for the audience to see.”
The final act of "Drive," White notes, is "genuinely groundbreaking, a testament to the heights Kayden has reached as a filmmaker and a powerful statement of contemporary adult filmmaking."
The sprawling, star-packed cast includes Joanna Angel, Gabbie Carter, Autumn Falls, Brooklyn Grey, Aubrey Kate, Ivy Lebelle, Lacy Lennon, Alina Lopez, Lena Paul and Emily Willis.
Male talent includes Mick Blue, Dante Colle, Markus Dupree, Manuel Ferrara, Small Hands, Wolf Hudson, Eric John, Alex Mack, Isiah Maxwell, Jason Moody, Kira Noir, Pierce Paris, Rob Piper and Tommy Wood.
Guest performers include Frank Buckkwyd, Danny Hart, Katie Jayne, Verronica Kirei, Aria Lee and Damon Pierce.
Visit Deeper.com and follow the imprint on Twitter. Find Kross on Twitter here.
In related news, the prolific Kross has been touting the Deeper releases "Relentless" and "Sordid Stories” and the directorial debut of Adria Rae with “Finish.”
