LOS ANGELES — Vixen Media Group is rolling out director Kayden Kross' "Drift," starring reigning XBIZ Performer of the Year Maitland Ward, on Deeper.com.
The release "takes influence from Oliver Stone’s 'Natural Born Killers,' as well as 'Blue Velvet,' and seamlessly folds the aesthetic into the world of Ward’s earlier work on the Mistress Maitland series," a rep said. "The film plays on the idea of living for the public and meeting the standards of Hollywood-imposed personas while stealing moments of authenticity in the shadows. By day, Maitland is America’s sweetheart, a charming A-list rom-com actress who is happy to step aside and be spoken for — but by night she chases the risks that will meet the needs of who she really is."
Ward, whose memoir, "Rated X: How Porn Liberated Me From Hollywood" debuts Sept. 6, drew a connection between "Drift" and her own experiences.
"Between writing my memoir and filming 'Drift,' these past few months have been an amazing experience," she said. "I am so proud to be a part of such a profound cinematic project that doesn’t just marry the worlds of porn and mainstream, but creates a separate genre all to itself. 'Drift' is really an artistic metaphor for my own life story and Kayden brilliantly weaved the script into something profound and original. It’s 'Natural Born Killers' meets 'WandaVision' meets every person’s story who finds themself on a path unexpected that lures them to delve deeper. Honestly, this is like nothing we or anyone else has done before."
Kross also commented on the parallels between the feature and Ward's own life.
"I read Maitland’s book, 'Rated X,' in anticipation of this project and was also personally very familiar with her story," Kross said. "I’ve always been fascinated by the risks this woman is willing to take and am so proud of the incredible reward it’s earned her, and that’s what I wanted to mirror in 'Drift.' From the emotional depths of the script to incredible performances, 'Drift' has been a true passion project to create."
The five-part feature also stars Vixen exclusives Violet Myers, Anton Harden and Little Dragon, as well as Mick Blue, Seth Gamble, Alex Jones, Jamie Knoxx, Coach Cardher, Danny Mountain and Skye Blue.
The first scene is available on Deeper.com.