NORTH HILLS, Calif. – Multiple award-winning director Paul Barresi has agreed to reanimate Pacific Sun Entertainment’s line of muscle-bear gay adult videos, the company announced this week.

“The economy put things on hold for a while, but Pac Sun is back up on its feet, raring to go and coming out of hibernation with a roar,” said the studio’s publicity, marketing and production chief, Michael LaBarbera. “With muscle-bear Barresi at the helm, Pacific Sun’s tufted men series will feature the chiseled bodies, hairy chests and huskies Barresi is famous for.”

Previously Barresi was under contract with Falcon Studios. The contract ended unhappily last year after three of four planned films, but the split left Barresi free to pursue other opportunities, he said.

Barresi already has begun work on his first title for Pac Sun, tentatively entitled Bears On The Prowl. The movie, expected to ship this summer, features Josh West, Park Wiley, Tom Colt and Arpad Miklos, and will serve as a comeback vehicle for former Falcon model Randy Storm.

“[Storm] looks real good,” Barresi said, adding the performer is “bigger, bolder and beefier.”

Barresi confesses to a fondness for the “old-school” bear look: big and beefy, but packed with toned muscle. He came by the preference naturally, he said, having worked for Jim French as one of the original COLT models following an appearance in Playgirl magazine. During his lengthy career, Barresi performed in more than 150 straight adult titles, “a dozen or so” gay adult titles (in solo or non-sex scenes), and several mainstream Hollywood productions. In addition, he directed 350 adult movies including Daddy’s Angels, Goodfellas/Badfellas, Bear Fuzz, American Bears, Leather Bears, Smooth-Chested Huskies, Bear Cage and Big Rig Bears.

He also is a licensed private investigator — and straight. Addressing his sexual orientation, Barresi chuckled and shrugged.

“It takes an all-man to take the reins of an all-man video line,” he said.

Regarding his future with Pacific Sun, Barresi said “nothing is etched in stone,” but the studio plans to have him shoot “one title every six weeks or so.”

When he’s not behind the lens for Pacific Sun, Barresi is participating in the creation of a documentary about his life. Tentatively entitled From Porn Star to Private Dick: The Paul Barresi Story, the independent film is expected to hit the streets sometime in 2010, he said.