Samuel Hadida, highly regarded French producer and distributor, passed away unexpectedly Monday, November 26th at UCLA Santa Monica Hospital following a short illness, announced his brother Victor and shared by Moviehole. For many years Samuel and Victor have owned and managed Metropolitan FilmExport, the leading French distributor of American indie fare they had founded with their father David.

In producing circles, Samuel was best known for his collaborations with director Tony Scott onTrue Romance and Domino, his collaboration with Constantin Film on the Resident Evil pictures and the Silent Hill productions.

Samuel Hadida was a well-known and much liked figure on the international film scene, ever present at film markets and all festivals for decades.

While grieving the unexpected loss of his beloved brother, Victor Hadida said, “Sammy’s passion and humor were infectious and his larger than life presence will certainly be missed. We are committed to honoring his life by bringing to fruition the numerous development projects under the Davis Films banner that Samuel so loved as well as the upcoming productions that were so important to him.”

In addition to his brother, Samuel is survived by his wife, Maryse Claire, their three grown children, Laurent Audrey and Aurelie and one grandchild, Sasha.