Axel Braun Signs Riley Steele to 2-Year Contract

LOS ANGELES—Three-time AVN Director of the Year Axel Braun has signed former Digital Playground contract star Riley Steele to an exclusive two-year deal with his Axel Braun Productions. Under the terms of the new contract, Steele will star in several of Braun’s big budget productions as well as a series of showcase movies. “I’m very excited about having Riley,” Braun said. “She is not only gorgeous and sexy, but also a genuinely sweet girl and a terrific performer with a tremendous erotic charge that’s never been fully exploited. I think a lot of people are going to be surprised when her first movie comes out.” For her part, Steele said it was "a no-brainer" to sign on with ABP. "Axel is the best director in the industry, he has an incredible sense of aesthetics, and his movies are all blockbusters," she offered. "He is also a very nice guy with good values, very different from your stereotypical porn director. So, yes, I'm super excited to be exclusive with ABP and I'm looking forward to being part of all the cool projects that he has in store for the next two years." Steele said that she expected "Axel will give me a lot more freedom in my scenes" than she had at Digital Playground. "I want to push my boundaries and live out a lot of kinky sexual fantasies I have. Contract girls typically are not 'supposed to' do certain things, so I've always felt a bit restricted and had to tone down. It's exciting to know people will finally be watching the real me getting as naughty as I want and exploring a whole new side of my sexuality." The 2011 AVN Awards co-hostess boasted, "I can honestly say I have a deal no other contract girl has right now, and what's best about working with Axel is that I'm going to really learn a lot about the business side of the industry, and I'll have a lot more input in my scenes, movies and all content." Asked her opinion of the consensus among many industry pundits that the age of the contract girl is coming to an end, Steele admitted, "I would be lying if I said I didn't believe that was true, but being exclusive with ABP brings me financial security, the peace of mind of knowing he's looking out for me, and a level of exposure that other contract girls don't normally get, because Axel's movies are appreciated for more than just the sex. So the contract girl era might very well be over, but I'm still loving every minute of it." Though she couldn't divulge any specific roles Braun has in mind for her, Steele hinted, "All I can tell you is that fans will get to see me in a way I have never been shot and doing things you would never expect me to do. Look out world, I'm back ... and better than ever!" The first ABP title featuring Riley Steele, star showcase Riley Goes Gonzo, is scheduled to be released in November. In the meantime, keep up with her on Twitter at twitter.com/xxxRiley.