By Stewart Tongue

YNOT EUROPE – Lucas Entertainment, a gay adult studio specializing in big-budget features filmed on location, has wrapped production on an Aegean island made famous in Greek mythology.

Awake was shot entirely on location on Mykonos, the site of a mythological battle between Zeus and the Titans. Today, the beaches and nightlife in the Greek resort are among the most celebrated in Europe.

But there’s trouble in Lucas’ paradise. Jessy Ares and Jonathan Agassi portray an emotionally numb couple mired in infidelity. The men escape to Mykonos in an attempt to recapture their lust for one another.

The plan seems doomed from the start, when as soon as they arrive, a car accident leaves Agassi hospitalized. Ares meets islander Mitchell Rock, and they explore the island as Ares comes to terms with a new sexual freedom.

Alongside Ares, Rock and Agassi, Awake also features performances by Alex Marte, Edji Da Silva, Mathew Mason, Trenton Ducati and Adam Killian.

“Coming off the great success [previous release] The Last Day had, I wanted to do something completely different,” said writer and director Marc MacNamara. “I didn’t want to tell another story where people were fighting for their lives…. The Last Day explored man against the world, man against maniac. In Awake I wanted to look inward to a place we all could relate to: man against himself.

“As it turns out, this reflection into ourselves can get quite intense, but if we open our eyes, we begin to feel everything,” he added. “As men, we can journey to another side of ourselves to uncover a heightened illusion of sex and passion we never knew.”

Ares said the project was intense for the performers, too.

“AWAKE has been my biggest challenge in filming porn so far,” he said. “At once, all of my abilities had been tested in brand new water. It became my most exciting porn experience, and the fact that two of my songs ended up in the movie just makes me want to scream ‘Yes!’”

Awake will be released online in two parts. The first is expected to debut Sept. 14 on LucasEntertainment.com. Behind-the-scenes material and production notes will bow on LucasBlog.com.

The full-length film on DVD is scheduled for global release Sept. 28.