CHATSWORTH, CA — Having already received high marks from adult entertainment critics far and wide, Digital Playground founder and director Joone now finds his digital adult masterpiece Pirates bestowed with a rating that might mean more than all the others put together; an R-Rating from the Motion Picture Association of America.“I’m extremely pleased that the movie will be available for mainstream audiences,” says Joone. “We have been working on this cut since December of 2005 and are very happy with the end result.”

According to a press release issued by Digital Playground, once the MPAA had issued an R-rating for the new cut of the movie, Digital Playground worked out mainstream distribution through MTI. The new R-rated DVD version of Pirates will be released on July 11, with “pre-book” scheduled for June 20.

In its press release, Digital Playground notes that the release of the R-rated version of Pirates is timed to “coincide perfectly with the July 7th theatrical release of Pirates of the Caribbean 2.”

“According to MTI’s CEO and President, Larry Brahms, their top retail accounts are curious and interested in the new Pirates and are buying deep,” said Samantha Lewis, president of Digital Playground. “I couldn’t be happier; Pirates is truly a milestone. It is the first adult film to cross into the mainstream market and it is a perfect example of true independent filmmaking.”

Shot on location in California and off the coast of Florida, Pirates was released as an adult feature in September 2005, and has received more than 29 adult-industry awards, including a record-breaking 11 at the 2006 AVN Awards.

In addition to its sex scenes, which feature adult starlets Jesse Jane, Carmen Luvana, Janine, Teagan Presley, Devon, Austyn Moore and Jenaveve Jolie, Pirates is packed with action sequences, pitting live-action heroes against menacing CGI-generated skeleton warriors, and is spiced throughout with a wide variety of eye-catching special effects. The movie contains over 300 special effects sequences in all, according to Digital Playground.

Along with new box art and the mainstream-friendly rating, the July DVD release will include 16:9 ‘widescreen’ aspect ratio, 5.1 digital surround sound, a visual effects “making of” feature, bloopers, video trailer, and optional Spanish subtitles.

For additional information, or to watch the Pirates trailer, visit http://www.PiratesTheMovie.com.