Elie Kheir Samaha (born 10 May 1955, Zahlé, Lebanon) is a film producer,¹ as well as a one-time nightclub doorman at Studio 54 in New York who has managed supermodels, owned the Roxbury nightclub in Los Angeles, developed and ran a 35-store chain of drycleaners.² His production credits began with The Immortals in 1995. Samaha has produced over 83 works, primarily films along with some video games. The only award he has won was a Worst Picture Razzie, which he shared with John Travolta and Jonathan D. Krane, for Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000.

From 1998 to 2004, Samaha produced films under the Franchise Pictures studio title. Franchise produced eight to ten films in the $15 - 65 million range each year. Franchise had a domestic distribution deal in place with Morgan Creek at Warner Brothers, releasing films like Battlefield Earth, FearDotCom and The Whole Nine Yards with Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry. His projects attracted such talented actors as John Travolta, Oscar winner Holly Hunter, Antonio Banderas, Marlon Brando, Cuba Gooding Jr., Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito, Sylvester Stallone, and Wesley Snipes. Franchise also has a co-production deal with Oliver Stone's Illusion Entertainment. Samaha's Phoenician Films boasts a library of over 35 titles (including DBNS), and produced films in the $5-15 million range.

Samaha specialized in rescuing stars' pet vanity projects. Franchise sought out stars whose projects were stalled at the major studios, bringing them aboard at reduced salaries. Samaha's approach made waves in Hollywood, earning him a reputation of being able to produce star vehicles more cheaply than the larger studios.³ His unorthodox deals raised eyebrows and the entertainment industry magazine Variety commented that they were "often so complex and variable as to leave outsiders scratching their heads".⁴ As Samaha put it, "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."⁵

So why can't you find DBNS or many of Elie's other films? The answer is here!

¹—Bates, James (2004-08-18). "Judge Finds Samaha Liable for $97 Million". Los Angeles Times
²—Miller, Daniel (28 April 2011). "Grauman's Chinese Theatre to Be Sold to Producers Elie Samaha, Don Kushner". Hollywood Reporter.
³—Shprintz, Janet (2009-07-31). "Legal eagle says Eli fudged budgets". Variety.
⁴—Bing, Jonathan (2003-06-09). "The Samaha Syndrome". Variety.
⁵—Hirschberg, Lynn (2000-05-14). "The Samaha Formula for Hollywood Success." New York Times.