Elías Axume is a Salvadoran-American film producer and distribution executive. He is the founder, president and CEO of Premiere Entertainment Group, established in 2012.
He previously held executive positions at Maya Entertainment, Myriad Pictures, Mobius Films International and Franchise Pictures.
Early life and education Axume was born on May 27, 1970, in San Antonio Pajonal, Santa Ana Department, El Salvador. He spent part of his childhood there before emigrating to Los Angeles in February 1982, at the age of 11, where he reunited with his parents, who had previously left El Salvador during the country's civil war.
Axume has traced his interest in filmmaking to a childhood visit to the cinema in 1977, when his father took him to see a Bruce Lee film at the Cine Colón in Santa Ana. He attended California State University, where he studied film production and screenwriting.
Career
Axume began working in post-production in 2006 before moving into film distribution . He served as vice president of post-production and distribution services at Mobius Films International and Franchise Pictures. He later joined Myriad Pictures, where he became executive vice president and oversaw worldwide sales, distribution and acquisitions.
In August 2010, Axume was appointed executive vice president of international distribution at Maya Entertainment. In the position, he was responsible for international sales and distribution and the development of the company's international sales and distribution division. The following year, Axume was promoted to head of international distribution at Maya Entertainment. He was tasked with overseeing a multi-million-dollar acquisition fund and continued to report to the company's chairman and CEO, Moctesuma Esparza.
In July 2012, Axume founded Premiere Entertainment Group (PEG), initially focusing on film distribution before the company began producing films in 2013, with The Outsider, starring James Caan, among its first productions. Axume serves as the company's president and CEO. PEG's sales slate has included Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2, Bambi: The Reckoning and Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare.
In 2019, Axume was a producer of the action thriller Seized, directed by Isaac Florentine and starring Scott Adkins and Mario Van Peebles. Premiere Entertainment Group handled worldwide sales for the film.
In 2020, Axume was announced as a producer on the action crime film The Commando, directed by Asif Akbar and starring Michael Jai White and Mickey Rourke. Through Premiere Entertainment Group, he also handled worldwide sales for the film. The film was a co-production between Premiere Entertainment Group, Al Bravo Films, Little Nalu Pictures and Avail Entertainment.
In 2021, Axume was a producer on crime thriller Locked In starring Mena Suvari. He was also producer on Blindsided (also known as Night of the Sicario) starring Natasha Henstridge.
In 2022, Axume was announced as one of the producers of three films set in El Salvador: Fireflies at El Mozote, Toque de Queda and The Incredible Journey of Elba. Fireflies at El Mozote, set during the Salvadoran Civil War, was developed as a co-production between Premiere and Yari Film Group, with Bob Yari serving as executive producer. The film was written and directed by Ernesto Melara. Toque de Queda and The Incredible Journey of Elba were both announced with Arturo Menendez as director.
In the same year, he was a producer on American action thriller Black Warrant film directed by Tibor Takács and starring Tom Berenger and Cam Gigandet. The film was among three Premiere Entertainment productions, alongside Shrapnel and Blowback, included in a multi-picture distribution deal with Saban Films covering North America and selected international territories.
In 2023, Axume produced the body-swap comedy The Ballad of Hortensia, directed by Arturo Menendez and starring Julio Yudice, Francisco Gattorno and Helena Haro. The film was produced by Premiere Entertainment and filmed in El Salvador, with Carlos Rincon and Lizzy Gonzalez serving as executive producers. In the same year, Axume was a producer of the action thriller Ruthless, directed by Art Camacho and starring Dermot Mulroney and Jeff Fahey. He produced the film alongside Al Bravo, HemDee Kiwanuka and Camacho. He was also the producer of thriller Due Justice directed by Javier Reyna starring Kellan Lutz.
In September 2025, Axume produced the action thriller The Hook, starring Michael Jai White and Malin Akerman, alongside Al Bravo and Mike Pizzimenti. PEG handled worldwide sales for the film. During the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, Axume closed a North American distribution deal for the film with ITN. That same month, Axume also produced the horror film Chupacabras, directed by Ricardo B'atz and starring Natalie Burn. The film was shot in Guatemala, with PEG handling worldwide sales. Ahead of production, the company secured distribution agreements for the film in North America, Italy and Latin America.
In 2026, Axume produced the post-apocalyptic thriller Dustlands, starring Ruby Rose, Chad Michael Collins and Terrence Howard, alongside Bravo and Pizzimenti.
Filmography YearTitleRole2014The Silent MountainExecutive producer2014SwelterCo-executive producer2014The OutsiderExecutive producer2015AbandonedCo-executive producer2015The Night CrewCo-producer2015AWOL-72Executive producer2016Code of HonorCo-producer2017Your MoveExecutive producer2018IncomingProducer2019Viking BloodExecutive producer2020UnfollowerExecutive producer2020SeizedProducer2020LegacyProducer2020The LegionExecutive producer2021Locked InProducer2021BlindsidedProducer2022Black WarrantProducer2022Project LegionExecutive producer2022BlowbackProducer2022The CommandoProducer2023RuthlessProducer2023Due JusticeProducer2023MR-9Executive producer2023ShrapnelProducer2023Nevada HeistProducer2024The Ballad of HortensiaProducer2024OutbreakExecutive producer2025The WreckerExecutive producer2025The Last TenantExecutive producer2025F PlusExecutive producer2025Desert DawnProducer2026Man of WarExecutive producer2026Fireflies at El MozoteProducer
Personal life Axume is married to Sandra Axume, who is also Salvadoran. They have four daughters.
References
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