Hollywood Studios plans base in Dubai

Dubai: Hollywood Studios International, a US publicly traded entertainment holding company, is establishing its headquarters at the Dubai Studio City.

HSI deals with management, production and international distribution, and will be shooting up to seven big-budget feature films each year.

The company is being launched in Dubai by two men from very different backgrounds but with a similar passion for movie-making.

Sir Steven Saxton, CEO and President of Hollywood Studios International, and Dr Mohammad Samir, executive director, aim to make Dubai the next entertainment hub.

"When Dr Samir first asked me to come to Dubai I told him I didn't have time for a vacation," said Saxton. "He mentioned there are a lot of opportunities here so we did some research and realised Dubai has a booming economy."

All films will be produced, written and directed by high-profile film-makers.

Saxton has been in the industry for over 17 years and brings with him a major Hollywood team with a string of blockbusters under their collective belts including Traffic, Lethal Weapon I-IV, The Last Boy Scout, Gangs of New York, Cody Banks I&II, Die Hard II, and Three men and a Baby, True Romance, Good Morning Vietnam, and Rocky to name a few.

Dr Samir is an award-winning model, dentist and physical and sports therapist.

The company is currently building its funds to expand into a new Dubai based production company and Artist International Management to handle clients.

To ensure a strong industry presence, an additional operation will be located in Los Angeles, along with other offices in New York and Miami.

Sir Steven Saxton and Dr. Samir aim to make Dubai the next entertainment hub.