Page 91 - AVN May 2025

‘I’ve had a much easier lifestyle because I
took control of my own career’
Stoney Curtis likes bouncing ideas off his talent when he’s on the set.
It keeps his creativity flowing.
“I like the talent to have some interjection,” Curtis says.
And 32-plus years later, he reveals one of the main drivers of his success is the
love of the game.
“I still enjoy it after all these years,” Curtis tells AVN. “I still have enthusiasm.”
Indeed the AVN Hall of Fame owner of Lethal Hardcore, whose most popular series
include Girl Scout Nookies, which has seen 21 volumes, and I Fucked My Best
Friend’s Dad, which is up to eight, remains hands-on in every step of the creative
process.
From his home office in Porn Valley, Curtis oversees everything from casting
decisions to choosing who will be on the box covers. And he wouldn’t have it any
other way.
“Many owners hire other people to do all that,” Stoney says.
But Curtis not only has adapted and survived during the many eras of adult
entertainment—he thrived.
The studio head, producer and director made a name for himself during the days
of VHS tapes and DVDs, elevated his brand on the web, capitalized on tube sites
and now is mastering VR production.
Now in its 21st year, Lethal Hardcore remains one of porn’s steadiest studio brands,
releasing one new title a week and eight new VR titles a month.
Among Lethal’s other top-selling series are Her Rumpus is Scrumptious and Curvy
Girl Auditions—both of which have reached seven volumes.
And Curtis teases several new titles coming soon, including Did You Order Rim
Service? , Rubber Can’t Compete With This Meat and Clit Bait.
The native of Chicago—who left a career in engineering to get into adult—tells
AVN he shoots all his Lethal Hardcore VR scenes in 4K, too, noting that his is the
only studio doing both.
“If you like a girl in 4K, there’s a chance she might be in VR doing the same type
of scene,” Curtis says. “We found a way to do both in the same day and we knock
them out in four or five hours… I have an assistant shooter who shoots some of it
and I direct everything… I have a co-director for the 4K—a cameraman that I’ve
trained over the years.”
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