LOS ANGELES—(November 1, 2013)—Three-time AVN Director Of The Year and undisputed
King of Parody Axel Braun announced today that he has signed an exclusive 2-year
contract with adult powerhouse Wicked Pictures, ending two weeks of speculation on
his post-Vivid plans.
“I heard all sorts of crazy rumors, which I guess is kinda flattering” said Braun,
“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.”
An AVN Hall-of-Famer, and by far the most commercially successful adult director in
recent history, Braun will bring to Wicked not only his directing skills, but also
the catalogue of his namesake company Axel Braun Productions, including all-time
blockbuster Batman XXX, along with ABP contract girls Aiden Ashley and Riley Steele.
“Axel is at the top of his game,” says Wicked’s owner Steve Orenstein. “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 another major coup for Wicked, after the recent signing of
superstar Asa Akira, which Asa herself announced while accepting the trophy for Porn
Star of the Year at The Sex Awards earlier this month.
“Being able to tap into Wicked’s roster of contract performers is pretty awesome,”
says Braun, who seems 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!”
“Axel is a great addition to the Wicked family,” says Drake. “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!”
And speaking of creative, hard-working directors, Braun is quick to praise his new
teammates: “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,” enthuses Armstrong. “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 tight wraps, if Axel gets his wish
it will star Jessica Drake.
About Axel Braun: The son of legendary porn-pioneer Lasse Braun and grandson of a
diplomat, Axel Braun was born and raised in Italy, where he received a privileged
upper-class upbringing. Fluent in five languages, a member of MENSA, a film-school
graduate, and the bearer of a Ph.D. in psychology, Axel has a unique cultural
background that sets him apart from the many other directors in the adult industry.
A second-generation AVN Hall-of-Famer, over the span of his career he has won dozens
of awards all over the world for directing, producing, screenwriting, and editing,
including three consecutive “Director Of The Year” AVN awards. For more information
visit facebook.com/AxelBraun and twitter.com/axelbraun