Randall Emmett

American film producer (born 1971)

Randall Emmett

Randall Emmett in 2020

Born|

Randall Ives Emmett

(1971-03-25) March 25, 1971 (age 54)

Miami, Florida, U.S.

Other names| Ives
Alma mater| School of Visual Arts
Occupation(s)| Film producer, television personality
Years active| 1995–present
Television| Vanderpump Rules
Spouse|

Ambyr Childers

(m. 2009; div. 2017)​

Partner| Lala Kent (2015–2021)
Children| 3

Randall Ives Emmett (born March 25, 1971) is an American film producer and television personality. He is the chairman and co-founder of production company Emmett/Furla Oasis Films.

Emmett is best known for pioneering the geezer teaser, a genre of low-budget action movies "teased" as starring a "geezer"[a] to quickly garner international financial backing, before producing a low-quality movie with the advertised "geezer" barely appearing.[1]

He also appeared in the eighth and ninth seasons of the Bravo reality television series Vanderpump Rules as the partner of Lala Kent.

## Early life and education

[edit]

Born to a family in Miami, Florida, according to Emmett, a "distant cousin", through his mother, of Jerry Bruckheimer,[2] and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the School of Visual Arts in New York City.[3] Emmet is also a highschool alumnus of New World School of the Arts.[4] In 1996 Emmett moved to Los Angeles and worked as an assistant at International Creative Management.[1]

## Career

[edit]

In 1995, Emmett began his Hollywood career as a personal assistant to Mark Wahlberg.[3][1] Emmett is the basis for the character Turtle from the HBO show Entourage.[1] Emmett approached Wahlberg about the possibility of him producing movies but was turned down.[1] Later he met George Furla, a hedge fund manager who agreed to finance his dream of being a producer, with whom he co-founded Emmett/Furla Films in 1998.[3][1]

Emmett would receive a crash-course in producing by Avi Lerner and through him was introduced to Michael Oblowitz and pitched a low-budget, direct to video movie starring Steven Seagal who was just finished acting in the highly troubled production of The Foreigner.[1] Mostly through Lerner's vouching Oblowitz agreed to let Emmett produce 2003's Out for a Kill starring Seagal.[1] Out for a Kill created the "template" for a geezer teaser, as it was low quality, starred an aged Seagal, and was mostly advertised and distributed in Eastern Europe.[1] Out for a Kill making a profit made other studios like Sony and Universal to take notice in the business strategy who also began heavily investing in the direct to DVD market, while Emmett and Furla made three films in 2010 including Gun before being approached in March 2011 to make films financed by Remington Chase and Stepan Martirosyan who claimed to have made their money in Russia.[1] However, both men had convictions related to cocaine trafficking the SEC revealed that $62 million of the $525 million they raised for Emmett was done so fraudulently, and spent on personal expenses.[1]

In 2013, Emmett and Furla were joined by Dubai-based film financier Oasis Ventures Entertainment to become Emmet/Furla Oasis Films (EFO).[5] Later that year Christopher Eberts, who gave Emmett a credit on The Wicker Man was found guilty on federal wire-fraud and money-laundering charges while Emmett's co-producer on Speed Kills, Guy Griffithe, was found guilty of selling fictitious interests in a legal marijuana business.[1]

In 2013 EFO was sued by Dan Bilzerian who financed $1 million into Lone Survivor in exchange for a cameo, although he would later settle and appeared in EFO's Extraction.[1] Lone Survivor, which had been financed by EFO's Russian money, was seen as a prestige film for EFO and Emmett as he saw another influx of cash into his production efforts.[1]

In 2013 EFO and Emmett where sued by Nemesis Finance for their stake in Broken City accusing Emmett and Furla of misrepresenting their debts to investors so they could reduce the amount of cash reserves they were required to keep on hand for residual payments to writers, actors, and directors.[1] However, the suit would be settled out of court.[1]

Lionsgate would pressure EFO to hire Scott Mann to direct and "handle" Emmett during the production of Heist; however, Emmett would do everything in his power as producer to make Mann's life difficult, including last minute script changes and slashing filming time.[1] However, when reviews came in for Heist it was noted that Mann and his directing was "battling a preposterous plot and second-tier performances."[1] Heist had over-performed its expectations in the box office, and allowed Emmett to continue making low-quality movies.[1]

Emmett has credits in 110 films, most of them are so bad that Vulture stated they deserve a category of their own.[1] That category is the Geezer teaser, films notable for spending the vast majority of their budget for a day or two of work from aged action stars, and then advertising the film as starring said star in foreign markets before the film is even made, cashing in on investor funds to churn out low quality "bleak" films.[1] Often times the advertised "star" of a Geezer teaser are only in the film for upwards of 10 minutes being compared to the low quality Cannon Group films.[1] Vulture also described Emmett as "Hollywood’s worst filmmaker" for, besides the poor quality of his films, his efforts to cut out union employees at every turn, from script-writers to stunt doubles, while filming wherever the tax-credit is the highest.[1]

In 2017 Emmett and EFO was sued by Jonathan Baker who co-produced their film Inconceivable alleging that Emmett and Furla paid themselves $650,000 more in producer fees than had been agreed upon and failed to disclose it.[1]

In 2019 Oasis Ventures sued Emmett and Furla over partnering with MoviePass and later that year Boies/Schiller Film Group sued Emmett for breach of contract for $6 million it had invested into Escape Plan. [1]

Emmett earned a non-union producer credit for his role in financing the 2019 The Irishman which he had hoped would increase his standing in Hollywood circles, which it did not.[1]

On June 29, 2022, the LA Times released an article accusing Emmett of offering women movie roles in exchange for sex. The article also claimed that Emmett paid a woman a $200,000 settlement for inappropriate contact, and knocked his ex-fiancée to the ground after she attempted to grab his phone.[6]

In 2023, Emmett was the subject of the documentary "The Randall Scandal: Love, Loathing, and Vanderpump", exposing allegations against him for racial discrimination and employment abuse at EFO.

Emmett has used Ives, his middle name, as a pseudonym, beginning with the film Cash Out.[7]

### Poker

[edit]

Emmett has been playing poker since 2012.[8] He has won four tournaments which include two victories in $10,000 buy-in high roller tournaments at Aria Resort and Casino.[8] He has one World Series of Poker cash in 2019[9] and two cashes on the World Poker Tour.[10] As of February 2021, his live tournament winnings exceed $590,000.[8]

Emmett has made regular TV poker appearances on PokerGO shows including World Series of Poker coverage, Poker After Dark, and Friday Night Poker.[11]

## Personal life

[edit]

In 2009, Emmett married actress Ambyr Childers, with whom he has two daughters.[12] Emmett filed for separation from Childers in April 2015, but dismissed the petition the following year. Childers filed for divorce in January 2017. It was finalized in December 2017.[13][14]

Emmett was engaged to Lauren "Lala Kent" Burningham from Vanderpump Rules.[15] On March 15, 2021, their daughter, Ocean, was born.[16] Kent ended their relationship in October 2021 after news broke of Emmett's cheating.[17]

## Filmography

[edit]

### Producer

[edit]

Feature film

* Eyes Beyond Seeing (1995)
* Speedway Junky (1999)
* Escape to Grizzly Mountain (2000)
* After Sex (2000)
* Ticker (2001)
* Good Advice (2001)
* Gentlemen of the Hunt (2002)
* Blind Horizon (2003)
* Unstoppable (2004) (co-producer)
* Edison (2005)
* The Tenants (2005)
* Before It Had a Name (2005)
* 16 Blocks (2006)
* The Wicker Man (2006)
* Home of the Brave (2006)
* King of California (2007)
* 88 Minutes (2007)
* Shortcut to Happiness (2007) (Associate producer)
* Borderland (2007)
* Righteous Kill (2008)
* Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009)
* Catch .44 (2011)
* Lay the Favorite (2012)
* Playback (2012)
* Alex Cross (2012)
* Broken City (2013)
* The Frozen Ground (2013)
* Escape Plan (2013)
* 2 Guns (2013)
* Lone Survivor (2013)
* The Prince (2014)
* 90 Minutes in Heaven (2015)
* Heist (2015)
* Extraction (2015)
* Precious Cargo (2016)
* Marauders (2016)
* Silence (2016)
* Aftermath (2017)
* Inconceivable (2017)
* First Kill (2017)
* Acts of Violence (2017)
* A Vigilante (2017)
* Gotti (2018)
* The Row (2018)
* Reprisal (2018)
* The Irishman (2019)
* 10 Minutes Gone (2019)
* Trauma Center (2019)
* Survive the Night (2020)
* Force of Nature (2020)
* Boss Level (2021)
* American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally (2021)
* Midnight in the Switchgrass (2021)
* Out of Death (2021)
* Survive the Game (2021)
* Fortress (2021)
* Fortress: Sniper's Eye (2022)
* Savage Salvation (2022)
* Wrong Place (2022)
* Wire Room (2022)
* Detective Knight: Rogue (2022)
* Detective Knight: Redemption (2022)
* Detective Knight: Independence (2023)
* Alarum (2025)
* Bandits (TBA)
* Exigent (TBA)
* Labor of Love (TBA)
* Pieces (TBA)
* The Pursuit (TBA)

Direct-to-video

* Held for Ransom (2000)
* Out for a Kill (2003)
* Belly of the Beast (2003)
* Control (2004)
* Submerged (2005)
* Today You Die (2005)
* Mercenary for Justice (2006)
* The Contract (2006)
* Day of the Dead (2008)
* Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous (2008)
* Thick as Thieves (2009)
* Streets of Blood (2009)
* Caught in the Crossfire (2010)
* Gun (2010)
* All Things Fall Apart (2011)
* Setup (2011)
* Freelancers (2012)
* Fire with Fire (2012)
* Empire State (2013)
* Vice (2015)
* Escape Plan 2: Hades (2018)
* Backtrace (2018)
* Escape Plan: The Extractors (2019)

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### Executive producer

[edit]

Feature film

* Narc (2002)
* The Badge (2002)
* All I Want (2002)
* Half Past Dead (2002) (Co-executive producer)
* Wonderland (2003)
* A Love Song for Bobby Long (2004)
* Loverboy (2005) (Co-executive producer)
* The Amityville Horror (2005) (Co-executive producer)
* Lonely Hearts (2006)
* Shortcut to Happiness (2007) (Co-executive producer)
* White Air (2007)
* Finding Rin Tin Tin (2007)
* Rambo (2008)
* The Bleeding (2009)
* The Tomb (2009)
* Double Identity (2009)
* Once Fallen (2010)
* End of Watch (2012)
* Mississippi Grind (2015)
* Everest (2015)
* Exposed (2016)
* Amityville: The Awakening (2017)
* Speed Kills (2018)
* Mile 22 (2018)
* The War with Grandpa (2020)

Direct-to-video

* Hard Cash (2002)
* Blood Out (2011)

Television

* Cutaway (2000) (Co-executive producer) (TV movie)
* Andrew Dice Clay: I'm Over Here Now (2000) (TV special)
* SAF3 (2013–14)
* Power (2014–20)
* BMF (TBA)

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### Director

[edit]

* Midnight in the Switchgrass (2021)
* Savage Salvation (2022)
* Cash Out (2024)[b]
* High Rollers (2025)[b]
* Cash Out 3 (TBA)

### Special thanks

[edit]

* Out of Death (2021)
* 3 Days Rising (TBA)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Hunt, Joshua (March 31, 2021). "The King of the Geezer Teasers Inside Randall Emmett's direct-to-video empire, where many Hollywood stars have found lucrative early retirement". Vulture. New York. Retrieved March 1, 2025.
2. ^ Ford, Luke (July 1, 2004). The Producers: Profiles in Frustration. iUniverse. p. 238\. ISBN 9780595320165.
3. ^ a b c "Randall Emmett Recounts His Journey to Mega-Producer Status – New York Film Academy Blog". New York Film Academy. October 30, 2013. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
4. ^ "Theater | New World School of the Arts (NWSA)". nwsa.mdc.edu. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
5. ^ Cullins, Ashley (June 30, 2016). "'Broken City' Producers Facing $6.2M Lawsuit for Racketeering". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
6. ^ "The man who played Hollywood: Inside Randall Emmett's crumbling empire". Los Angeles Times. June 30, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
7. ^ a b Meg James; Amy Kaufman (April 26, 2024). "After scandal, movie producer Randall Emmett is flying under the radar with a new name". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
8. ^ a b c "Randall Emmett's profile on The Hendon Mob". The Hendon Mob Poker Database. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
9. ^ "RANDALL EMMETT | BEVERLY HILLS, CA, United States | WSOP.com". www.wsop.com. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
10. ^ "Randall Emmett | World Poker Tour". Retrieved February 12, 2021.
11. ^ "Weekend Binge Watch – The Randall Emmett Experience". Poker Central. April 19, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
12. ^ Johnson, Zach (July 12, 2013). "Ambyr Childers Is Pregnant: See the Ray Donovan Star's Baby Bump!". Us Weekly. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
13. ^ Vultaggio, Maria (December 20, 2017). "Who Is Ambyr Childers? Lala Kent's Rumored Boyfriend Randall Emmett Is Legally Married". Newsweek. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
14. ^ "Vanderpump Rules Star Lala Kent Her New Man Is Officially Single Randall Emmett's Divorce Final". TMZ. December 26, 2017. Archived from the original on June 13, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
15. ^ "Vanderpump Rules' Lala Kent Engaged to Randall Emmett". E! Online. September 2, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
16. ^ "Lala Kent's Fiance Randall Emmett Shares 1st Video of Daughter Ocean". Life & Style. March 25, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
17. ^ "Lala Kent recreates the photo that busted Randall Emmett's alleged cheating". pagesix.com. May 11, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2024.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Usually an older action star considered to be past their prime, notable examples of Emmett produced Geezer Teaser "Geezers" include: Bruce Willis, Nicolas Cage, Mel Gibson, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Sylvester Stallone and Matthew Modine.[1]
2. ^ a b Under the pseudonym Ives[7]

## External links

[edit]

* Randall Emmett at IMDb

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* Spain
* Poland
* Israel

People|

* Deutsche Biographie

Other|

* Yale LUX

*[m.]: married
*[div.]: divorced