MISSION HILLS, Calif.—Boulevard Distribution and GAYVN Hall of Famer TJ Paris have joined forces to produce an ambitious new project. They intend to film a gay porn version of Christopher Marlowe’s classic play, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus.
To the best of anyone’s knowledge, the project represents the first adaptation of an Elizabethan drama for explicit adult entertainment.
“Christopher Marlowe, who predated Shakespeare by 20 years or so, was a perfect choice, in my opinion, to adapt into a gay adult production,” Boulevard Chief Executive Officer Andy Goode told AVN.com. “Marlowe, whose sexuality is unknown, did write about a gay king in his earlier work, Edward II. As [Faustus] is the story of a man who sells his soul to the devil for unlimited knowledge, it stands to reason that plenty of sex would be part of the bargain.”
Paris will direct. Goode, who has an extensive mainstream theater background, will serve as drama coach and help with dialogue and preparation. He also wrote the screenplay “without changing a single line of prose,” he said. He does plan to condense the 400-year-old play’s text somewhat, but he said the resulting product will remain true to the original.
The lone female role, Helen of Troy, will be played by adult fetish producer and actress Julie Simone, but the two male leads remain uncast. The roles are Faustus, who is 25-35, and Mephistopheles, 20-30 and smoothly fiendish. A theatrical rehearsal process will be employed, Goode said.
“The two leads are tough ones,” he warned, adding both require significant acting chops in addition to a willingness to have sex on camera. “And they are up for grabs. For actors who are looking for a challenge, this might be it.”
Pay for performers has not been determined, although Goode said the contract will include a “hit clause.”
“If the film is a hit, then there will be a sharing of the profits to some extent, with the main components, just like a mainstream film,” he explained.
Adult performers who are interested in auditioning may contact Goode and Paris by email or call (818) 892-4427.
