LOS ANGELES—Axel Braun does not rest: With his of-the-moment VividXXXSuperheroes blockbuster The Avengers XXX: A Porn Parody riding at #1 on the AVN Retail Buzz chart, he's already gearing up for the release of his next superhero epic, The Dark Knight XXX: A Porn Parody, under the same label.
Braun provided AVN with exclusive first-look copies of the key art (pictured above) and trailer for Dark Knight, sceduled to arrive July 20, coinciding with the premiere of Christopher Nolan's final entry in his Dark Knight trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises.
"After the extraordinary success of Batman XXX, in which I spoofed the '60s TV show, I felt the need to explore the character in his more modern, serious incarnation," Braun said of the forthcoming title. "I wanted to tell a dramatic story that had all the elements of the comic book in a real world setting. I like the tone of the Nolan movies, but I never liked the Batman costume. It always felt too much like an armor, reminded me of what they did with the Green Goblin costume in the first Spider-Man movie. I wanted a costume that was both practical, realistic and totally awesome. So I took inspiration from the Arkham City videogame. The result is truly unbelievable."
In the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne, Braun cast 2012 XRCO New Stud Giovanni Francesco, who he said turned out to be an ideal choice.
"I couldn't use Dale DaBone, who did a terrific job in Batman XXX, because I didn't want to confuse the audience ... and because I am working on the sequel," Braun explained. "I needed somebody who could pull off the fight scenes, and who had the presence and charisma to embody the character. Giovanni Francesco is not only 6'3" and a gifted actor, but also an amazing martial artist. He did all of his stunts and helped with the choreography of all the fight scenes. This is a definitely a star-making role for Giovanni."
The realism of Francesco's fight sequences got a particular boost, Braun said, by placing one of them opposite fellow seasoned fighter Derrick Pierce, playing Bane.
"The fight between him and Bane is just amazing," Braun enthused. "The two of them went at it for real."
Perhaps an even bigger selling point of Dark Knight XXX, however, is its inclusion of Axel Braun Productions contract girl Aiden Ashley's very first boy/girl sex scene ... as well as a boy/girl/girl. Placing her in the role of Catwoman, Braun noted that, "Her costume, again, is more faithful to the comics than any of its mainstream incarnations."
Braun was equally enthusiastic about the performances of all the movie's supporting players. "Brian Street Team got to flex some serious acting muscles in this," he said. "His portrayal of Nightwing is outstanding and brings life to a character that has never been seen on screen. Andy San Dimas plays Kathy Kane. I just love ASD, and nobody plays a damsel in distress better than her. Penny Pax as Batgirl is pitch-perfect, and she does a scorching hot anal scene.
"But the real suprise here," he continued, "is Brendon Miller. His take on The Joker is insane, and he is one of the most dedicated actors I have had the pleasure to work with. He threw himself in this role and made it his, stealing every scene he's in."
Braun emphasized that though Dark Knight XXX contains many of the same characters and components as its source material, it is an original tale all its own.
"The story, much like Spider-Man XXX, borrows elements from the comics as well as from the movies," he said, "but it's an original story written by two seriously passionate comic book geeks, me and Mark Logan."
He also noted that Dark Night XXX, while still a parody, is serious business. "While Star Wars [XXX] is pure comedy, this is definitely a drama. It was a(nother) massive undertaking, but I honestly believe it's the best thing I've ever shot. [Vivid co-chairman] Steven Hirsch had been asking me to make another Batman-themed movie for a long time, and I kept telling him that I needed to find the right costumes, the right story, the right actors. Well, this is it."
View the trailer for The Dark Knight XXX here.
