LOS ANGELES — Wicked Pictures is reporting a surge in the sales of the Wicked Fairy Tales release "Cinderella XXX: An Axel Braun Parody" as the mainstream film from Kenneth Branagh enjoys a strong opening weekend at the box office.
“We had high expectations for the movie, and we’re thrilled to say we’ve surpassed them and then some," said Wicked Pictures National Sales Manager Bonnie Kail. "It’s a huge credit to Axel and the entire team that they've made an incredible film people continue to talk about.”
Kail's enthusiasm is echoed by Veronica Avluv, who played the wicked stepmother who torments Samantha Saint's long-suffering heroine.
"I had so much fun shooting this movie for a director as brilliant as Axel," Avluv said. "Having the opportunity to really step outside the usual bounds of being glamorous to play such an evil person was a very unique and fun experience as an adult performer. I'm pretty certain that this role, among all the memories I'll look back upon as a performer, will stand out as a very unique experience."
Leading trade publications Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter predicted a successful opening weekend for Branagh's "Cinderella," the latest take on Charles Perrault's classic tale of unjust oppression. Starring Lily James as the titular character and Cate Blanchett as the evil stepmother, the Branagh camp is hoping to draw in couples and the dating crowd.
Wicked Pictures engaged fans through Twitter this past weekend (Twitter.com/wickedpictures), offering their followers one chance each day to receive free copies of the three Wicked Fairy Tales DVDs released to date — "Cinderella XXX," "Sleeping Beauty XXX" and "Snow White XXX" — by correctly answering trivia questions.
Reflecting on the success of the line and "Cinderella XXX" in particular, Braun couldn’t be happier to see a new rendition of the beloved classic arriving in theaters. "There is something magical and timeless about fairy tales," said the three-time XBIZ Director of the Year, who is working on the sophomore Wicked Comix release, "Batman v Superman XXX: An Axel Braun Parody."
“Being able to transport these classic characters into an erotic setting without disrespecting the source material is in itself an absolute thrill, so of course I am ecstatic about the tremendous success that this new line is experiencing."