Elie Samaha is a film producer in Los Angeles, with production credits beginning with The Immortals in 1995. He has produced over 83 works, primarily films along with some video games. He produced The Boondock Saints, Battlefield Earth, Driven, 3,000 Miles to Graceland, Heist, The Pledge, and Spartan, among many others
Who is Tia Carrere’s First Husband?
Elie Samaha is the first husband of Tia Carrere, they were together from 1992 to 2000.
Samaha built his reputation in 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 1999.
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.
In 2000, Samaha was sued by Intertainment Pictures, his business partners on a number of films. Entertainment won a $70 million judgment against Samaha for fraudulently overcharging them for production costs on the films.