MONTREAL—Gamma Entertainment announced Friday it has acquired BurningAngel Entertainment, BurningAngel.com and the company's extensive catalog of hardcore content.
The brand acquisition, alongside a new multi-year producer agreement with the studio’s founder, AVN Hall of Famer Joanna Angel, will be consummated with the top alt-porn brand becoming part of Gamma’s premium network, Adult Time, in February.
For Angel, “the decision to sign off on the acquisition of BurningAngel was a very exciting but emotional one for me. Thinking back to how this all began as a DIY college experiment in my dorm room at Rutgers University in 2002, it feels incredibly surreal to announce this.
“BurningAngel and Gamma have been in a website partnership agreement for the past six years, during which Gamma has designed, maintained and optimized BurningAngel.com, so I've already had a relationship with their team. This relationship intensified when I came on as a guest director for Pure Taboo, and while it was a project produced by Gamma Films, the cross promotion between the BurningAngel members and the Pure Taboo members proved to be incredibly successful.
“Later down the line, Bree [Mills, Gamma head of production] approached me with her concept for Adult Time, and we discussed the different ways the BurningAngel content could benefit the platform. From a creative perspective it was simple, I wanted to be a part of it and she wanted the content to be there. I half-jokingly said, ‘You know, this would be a lot easier if you just bought the brand.’
“And well ... an offer came in shortly after. My emotional instinct at first was to say no. BurningAngel is my child, all my blood sweat and tears and half of my entire lifetime has gone into it. But the more I thought about it—the more sense it made. The thought of being an active part of a bigger platform excited me, and would completely benefit the current BurningAngel members, and grow the brand for new fans and members as well.
“When we first started in 2002, my goal was to show the world that punk rock chicks were hot. I wanted to show the world that sex and sexuality doesn't have to come from a tan blonde enhanced girl stripping in front of a swimming pool. BurningAngel was more of a brand, than it was a production company. We did a lot of parties and events, we had a large presence at lots of tattoo conventions ... from 2002-2005 we JUST had nude photo sets and didn't even produce videos. I was more concerned with getting a message across than I was with creating content. We had a small office, I oversaw a lot of the web programming and maintenance, I went to a lot of the web shows and promoted our own affiliate program that was taped together with virtual band aids, but did get a fair number of signups.
“But in the past 10+ years my passion has shifted, and I have really developed a love for production. The quality of the early BurningAngel movies didn't matter much, the important part was that everyone had tattoos. But over time, my passion for creating porn has really grown. From Cum on My Tattoo to Cindy Queen of Hell, from POV Punx to Metal Massage, from Bratty Teens Like It Rough to Dong of the Dead—I really love all the different genres of smut I have been fortunate enough to create as a director and producer. And there is truly no better home for the wide span of content that I have created than Adult Time .... even better than BurningAngel itself.
Angel will be as productive as ever. “I will still be directing for BurningAngel, and the website will continue to be updated. The fans will not notice a change and I will continue to deliver them the quirky punk/tattoo/goth content they know and love. I will also be guest directing other projects for Adult Time that will be announced in the near future. However, I would like it to be known that this is not an exclusive directing or performing contract. I spent a good portion of my adult career tied to one company and I want to branch out in every way possible at this juncture in my career. I plan to appear in as many films as possible, in front of and behind the camera. I am incredibly excited for this next chapter of my adult career, and BurningAngel's second life as a company. I graciously thank Gamma for the opportunity.”
In the new deal, Angel will remain the primary producer of BurningAngel, while working closely with Mills in the future development of the studio’s new content. Angel’s personal website JoannaAngel.com will remain an independent property and separate from the Gamma Entertainment agreement.
"Joanna and I have already been working closely together on a creative level for the past year, after she joined our team for Trailer Park Taboo, the multi-nominated feature she wrote and directed for Pure Taboo,” Mills said.
“That experience led to us talking about other projects and, when I pitched her the idea of Adult Time, it was at the same time she was contemplating where she wanted to focus the next phase of her career. The opportunity for BurningAngel to become part of Gamma made a lot of sense, given where we both want to grow.
“I am thrilled to include BurningAngel as a Gamma Films studio ... it is a brand that I have always admired and I'm excited to see it carry on into its next iteration."
Mills and Angel have already begun production on a new Adult Time original series, Lady Gonzo, directed by Angel, that she is shooting alongside veteran cinematographer Mike Quasar.
"BurningAngel has been one of Gamma's trusted partners for over six years, and we are delighted to have them officially join our roster as a Gamma Films Studio,” Gamma president Karl Bernard said.
“Their brand has always been creative, original and engaged with their fans, values that are completely in line with our vision for Adult Time. I look forward to seeing them continue to thrive, and for all of the new projects we will develop with Joanna in the future."
BurningAngel’s original scenes and features will become accessible to all members of Gamma Films studios' sites, as well as the new AdultTime.com platform; in addition to Angel’s all-new content, members have free access to over 50,000 scenes in Adult Time's extensive catalog.
