LOS ANGELES — Superhero fans won't have to wait until 2016 to see the Dark Knight battle the Man of Steel, thanks to three-time XBIZ Director of the Year Axel Braun.
Wicked Pictures’ newest imprint, Wicked Comix, on Friday announced that pre-production has begun on “Batman v Superman XXX: An Axel Braun Parody.” The movie, which will begin shooting the first week of Januiary, will follow the same high-budget blueprint as Braun’s previous superhero parodies, and the release date is slated for March 25, 2015 – exactly one year before Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill get to battle it out on the big screen.
The dark and dramatic story finds Giovanni Francesco, Ryan Driller, and Brendon Miller reprising their award-winning roles as Batman, Superman, and The Joker, while the bodacious, 6-foot tall Alison Tyler has just been signed to play Princess Diana of Themyscira, also known as Wonder Woman.
“I am absolutely ecstatic!” said Tyler. “I cannot wait to bring this sexy, iconic figure to life. I can’t thank Axel enough for giving me the chance to be a part of such an awesome project, and I’m sure my fans will be just as excited as I am to see me in this role.”
A casting call for all other major roles has been set for this Sunday, December 21, at the Wicked Pictures headquarters. Roles to be cast include Lex Luthor, Harley Quinn, Catwoman, Supergirl, and Maxima. Agents and talent can contact Marc Weston at (818) 259-4773 or via email at marc@axelbraunproductions.com for details.
With Braun once again lending his comic-geek cred to the superhero genre, fans can look forward to special effects galore and imaginative production design, as well as a XXX take on the iconic costumes, but this time there’s another element that will be especially developed, Braun said.
“The core of the movie revolves around a confrontation between two very strong characters,” said Braun. “So I hired an award-winning mainstream stunt coordinator to help us choreograph all the fight scenes, and Giovanni and Ryan will be training with him for two weeks in January. This is a darker, grittier, and much larger-scale movie than any of my previous superhero parodies, and luckily I have Wicked’s full creative and financial support to help me pull all the stops to realize my vision.”
Wicked Pictures President and owner, Steve Orenstein, couldn't be happier to see Braun returning to the superhero genre.
"Axel is in a class of his own, and the extraordinary success of his movies is proof that he is consistently at the top of his game," Orenstein said. 'His first year at Wicked was nothing short of stellar, and given his notorious passion for superheroes I am sure this movie will be another home run."
For more information, visit Wicked.com.