Nakedsword Disruptive Hunt Lust And Power In Wild Game

Shot deep in untamed woodlands, the feature lands its stable of studs in high-stakes scenarios set in the literal wild.

When studios support each other, the work gets better, the stories get bolder and the audience wins. I really hope to see more projects like this. It’s how we evolve.

“A group of down-on-their-luck men are invited by a couple of tech billionaires to participate in a twisted cat-and-mouse game that could deliver a million dollars, and some earth-moving sex,” explains co-director and NakedSword regular Ben Rush.

Rush, who also wrote the script, says the project had been in development for years.

“After I wrote ‘Ride or Die’ in 2021, I came up with the idea for ‘Wild Game’ and immediately wrote an outline,” he recalls.

Tim Valenti, president and CEO of Falcon/NakedSword, was immediately on board. But the film’s complex plot and the logistics of filming a group of performers in the woods delayed production until the timing was right.

“We waited until we found the exact location we wanted and could put together a cast that was capable of pulling off the sex, acting and intense physicality the screenplay demanded,” Rush notes.

Rush cites several inspirations for the script, including Richard Connell’s 1924 short story “The Most Dangerous Game” and the 1932 film adaptation starring Joel McCrea and Fay Wray. He also pulled from women’s prison exploitation films of the 1970s and 1980s, as well as contemporary thrillers like “The Purge” and “The Hunger Games.”

While the setting and sex are wild, the film also carries timely subtext.

“From a story perspective, the theme of the wealthy billionaire preying on the down-on-his-luck everyman seems particularly, ahem, timely,” Rush teases.

The film is intentionally extremely layered, he notes.

“It should resonate with viewers on different levels,” Rush predicts. “Take the title, for example. It can refer to the actual game at the center of the story, or it can conjure the idea that the characters themselves are wild game.”

But who in the cast are hunters, and who are the prey?

Paul Wagner and Blain O’Connor play the tech billionaires. Wagner says his role mirrors his natural instincts.

“I’m always a hunter,” he affirms. “On-screen, it’s a role. Off-screen, it’s instinct — I’m just more coy about it. Patient, quiet... waiting for the perfect moment to strike.”

Fellow cast member Miles Fallon admits, “Oh, I’m definitely prey. There’s something so intoxicating about being chased, knowing someone’s locked onto you with that kind of hunger. I love surrendering to the moment and seeing how far they’ll take it.”

He adds that things are different when the cameras aren’t rolling, however.

“On-screen, I lean hard into my submissive side — it’s where I thrive,” Fallon shares. “But off-screen? I’m a total hunter. I love the thrill of pursuit, zeroing in on someone I want and making them melt for it.”

NakedSword regular Derek Kage shares that duality.

“I am the most determined prey in this movie,” he says. “I am a down-on-my-luck yet no-nonsense vagabond who is eager to escape the ‘wild game’ and win the prize money. But I can be quite the hunter off-screen and on. When I see something I want, I go after it.”

Kage also helped bring about one of the film’s most intense moments: a triple-penetration scene.

“The triple penetration was such a rush,” he says. “I’ve been double-penetrated many times, but had never been triple-penetrated. It was intense, having three well-endowed guys going at me like that. It’s a feeling and a moment I will never forget.”

Rush marvels, “I had written it as double penetration, but I jokingly said, ‘We should make this a triple penetration! Who’s ready?’ Instead of laughing at what I thought was a joke, Derek, Jayden Marcos, Paul and Blain dropped to the ground to choreograph the position. Before I knew it, Derek was being stretched by three huge dicks with the fluidity of a circus performer.”

Wagner was equally impressed.

“I honestly didn’t even think it was physically possible to get all our bodies aligned,” he remembers. “But somehow it worked out perfectly. It was hot.”

Kage describes the exhilaration everyone shared after the performers finished the scene.

“The feeling on set was wonderful,” he says. “Everyone knew we had captured something magical.”

The kink in “Wild Game” also includes a watersports scene, available exclusively to NakedSword subscribers. For Wagner, who doesn’t shoot a lot of fetish work, shooting that scene felt special.

“It fits perfectly with the power dynamic,” he says. “My character has total control over the prey, and this just adds another layer to that dominance.”

This edginess reflects the influence of Disruptive, which is known for taboo narratives, edgy twists and psychological tension. The studio has produced scenes featuring a man who finds out he just had sex with a serial killer, a heart transplant that leads to a hookup with the donor’s brother and even a “Saltburn”-inspired film: “Honeyguide,” starring Hoss Kado.

“Disruptive brings the edge,” confirms Disruptive’s Jessica Jasmin, who co-directed with Rush. “In this film, we added that darker, more subversive layer that gave it its pulse.”

Jasmin likens the collaboration to a creative jam session.

“Falcon/NakedSword productions are big, polished and cinematic,” she says. “While Disruptive has this raw, edgy vibe, kind of like the A24 of adult filmmaking. We lean into grittiness, strong acting and boundary-pushing narratives.

That synergy was felt on set, according to the performers.

“The scale of this production blew me away,” gushes Fallon. “It was my first time working on something so intricate and high-concept. Seeing how much intention, detail and creativity went into every part of the shoot made me respect the craft on a whole new level. It was sexy and smart.”

Fallon found his edge in a memorable scene involving a flashlight.

“Taking the flashlight was wild!” he recalls. “I was honestly nervous. But Blain did this move — completely improvised — where he twisted it slowly inside me to help stretch me open, and it felt unreal.

“I wasn’t expecting to love it, but I walked by one in the store a couple weeks later and genuinely thought about buying it,” Fallon confesses.

According to Rush, the behind-the-scenes camaraderie on the production was strong.

“The relationships and friendships made on this shoot are invaluable,” he says. “We celebrated two birthdays during production: Miles’ and Heath’s,” Rush says. “We had cakes delivered to the set, which was no easy feat in the middle of a forest.”

Jasmin agrees with Rush’s assessment.

“The whole experience felt more like a camping retreat than a film shoot,” she says.

As for the final product, both directors say they could not be more proud of their work together.

“It’s a film that reflects what Disruptive is all about: blurring the line between narrative cinema and adult entertainment,” Jasmin enthuses. “It’s a statement piece.”

Rush agrees, calling ‘Wild Game’ one of the best films he’s ever made.

“It makes me happy that the work of so many talented people is showcased in this production,” he says. “The camerawork, the editing, the cast and the production crew are the best of the best, and it shows.

“I’m already itching to work with Jessica again,” Rush adds.

Jasmin says she feels the same way.

“It represents the beginning of a real creative partnership between me and Ben, and hopefully many more projects to come,” she says.

“I think collaboration is the future of this industry,” Jasmin reflects. “There’s so much talent out there, it only makes sense to bring passionate creatives together to make something bigger than what we could do alone. We need to move past the idea of competition and lean into community. When studios support each other, the work gets better, the stories get bolder and the audience wins. I really hope to see more projects like this. It’s how we evolve.”

Rush echoes the sentiment.

“I love the trend toward studio collaborations,” he attests. “They keep things fresh and bring together creatives who wouldn’t necessarily have the opportunity to work together otherwise. In addition, they provide resources — manpower, additional funding, exclusive talent — that are very noticeable on-screen. Look out for another exciting co-production soon!”

The first episode of “Wild Game” premieres Sept. 12.