Quotes

Whether it's real estate or dry cleaning or restaurants or nightclubs, import or export, it's all about cost and efficiency. You look at the (film) companies that are not in business right now, and it's because many of them overpaid.

Everything in Hollywood is a hustle.

Whether you are in the restaurant business, the club business, or the movie business, it's like a jungle out there. The same actor you're trying to get, there's like 200 producers going after the guy.

Tarak Ben Ammar understands production very well and it gives you more confidence to be in business with someone who's hands-on.

Our aim is to make and market exciting, commercial films that will appeal to domestic theatrical distributors and fill the theatrical requirements of the world's distributors.

My philosophy is that I have to make theatrical movies. It's taken me three years, but now I'm moving to the next level.

While Franchise was approached by several of the major studios, we chose Morgan Creek because we know they will be active partners in this venture, with real commitment to our movies.

[on forming Franchise Classics : The formation of this division represents a natural progression due to the enormous growth our company has enjoyed over the last two years.

I would yell at everyone, This is a science-fiction film starring John Travolta! again and again.

In Hollywood, you only need success to have more success. 'People laughed at me. I didn't care. They didn't take me seriously. They didn't even return my calls three years ago. 'But I'm in the business to make money, and why would I hold a grudge? I mean, who the hell was Elie Samaha three years ago?

I wanted to make bigger movies, I wanted to make movies with major movie stars. There are only 30 stars in the world. If I have a Stallone movie, I know I can do $42 million internationally. If it's Meg Ryan, I can do 35. If it's Julia Roberts, I can do 45. And besides, actors are like good wine. You put them on the shelf and they're worth more. A movie with a star in it is good for my library. A library is worth money. It's very easy. It's my business.

I operate from the gut, When I worked in the clubs, people said, 'Elie Samaha won't last a year.' They all went out of business and I succeeded. This taught me that you cannot listen to what people say. If you listen to what people say, you'll never advance in life.

I made my first film, The Immortals (1995) in 1995 for $1.8 million, I sold it to October Films, to HBO and overseas. I made so much money on it, and I thought, This is a great business.

My high comes from driving on Sunset and pointing at properties and saying, 'I own this' and 'I own this and that and this.

[on meeting his ex-wife, Tia Carrere : She stepped out of the car and I thought she was very beautiful, and the rest is history.

I don't want to be successful alone because people will be envious. You can't go to war without an army behind you. One man cannot be a platoon.

They said, 'Quality doesn't pay.' I thought, Life's too short. And I went on my own. They were laughing at me, of course.