Elie Samaha (Arabic language, Arabic: إيلي سماحة) is a film producer in Los Angeles, with production credits beginning with ''The Immortals (1995 film), The Immortals'' in 1995. He has produced over 83 works, primarily films along with some video games. He produced ''The Boondock Saints'' (1999), ''Battlefield Earth (film), Battlefield Earth'' (2000), ''Driven (2001 film), Driven'' (2001), ''3000 Miles to Graceland'' (2001), ''Heist (2001 film), Heist'' (2001), ''The Pledge (film), The Pledge'' (2001), ''Spartan (film), Spartan'' (2004), ''Back on the Strip'' (2023), among many others. Samaha built his reputation in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood first as the owner of Celebrity Cleaners and then with his nightclub on Sunset Strip, the Roxbury. Parlaying the Hollywood friendships he formed through his clubs, Samaha was given a distribution deal with Warner Bros. Pictures in 1998.

Career

Samaha was a co-owner/founder of the dry cleaner chain Celebrity Cleaners and co-owner of the Roxbury nightclub in Los Angeles. Between 1997 and 2004, Samaha produced films under the Franchise Pictures studio title, which included films such as ''The Boondock Saints'', ''Mercy'', ''Battlefield Earth'', ''The Whole Nine Yards (film), The Whole Nine Yards'', ''Get Carter (2000 film), Get Carter'', ''Angel Eyes (film), Angel Eyes'' and ''Driven''. Samaha specialized in rescuing stars' pet projects. Franchise Pictures sought out stars whose projects were stalled at the major studios, bringing them aboard at reduced salaries. Samaha's approach was to produce star vehicles more cheaply than the larger studios. His unorthodox deals raised eyebrows and the entertainment industry magazine ''Variety (magazine), Variety'' commented that they were "often so complex and variable as to leave outsiders scratching their heads". As Samaha put it during an interview about ''Battlefield Earth'', "I said, 'If John [Travolta] wants to make this movie, what does he want to get paid?' ... Because I do not pay anybody what they make. That is not my business plan." He is currently the President of Take 3 Productions, which produced ''Breaking Brooklyn'' (2016), a dance film starring Louis Gossett Jr., Nathan Kress and Colin Critchley. In 2000, Samaha was sued by Intertainment Pictures, his business partners on a number of films. Intertainment won a $70 million judgment against Samaha for fraudulently overcharging them for production costs on the films. In 2021, he co-founded and served as the chairman of Luminosity Entertainment, to distribute, produce, and finance films in the U.S., as well as handle international sales, which is headquartered in West Hollywood.

Film

;As an actor ;As writer ;Music department ;Thanks

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Samaha, Elie American film producers Lebanese emigrants to the United States Living people Mass media people from Greater Los Angeles People from Zahle Year of birth missing (living people)

Career

Film

Television

See also

References

External links