CANOGA PARK, Calif.—Three-time AVN Director of the Year Axel Braun has signed an exclusive two-year deal with Wicked Pictures under which he will both direct for the studio and receive distribution of his own Axel Braun Productions titles.
"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," Braun said. "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.”
Braun will bring his catalogue of ABP titles to Wicked as part of the deal, including the blockbuster Batman XXX: A Porn Parody, along with his 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 comes on the heels of Wicked signing reigning AVN Female Performer of the Year Asa Akira, which she herself announced while accepting the trophy for Porn Star of the Year at last month's inaugural presentation of The Sex Awards.
“Being able to tap into Wicked’s roster of contract performers is pretty awesome,” Braun enthused, registering particular excitement 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!”
Commented Drake herself, “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 also 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 offered. “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 announced two weeks ago that he was ending his four-year partnership with Vivid Entertainment. The first ABP release through Wicked will be the Riley Steele star showcase Riley Goes Gonzo, scheduled to street in December. His first Wicked feature is yet to be announced.
