Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

- Tilted Entertainment (https://thetfp.com/tfp/tilted-entertainment/)

- - Sahara (https://thetfp.com/tfp/tilted-entertainment/83090-sahara.html)

I dont know how many Clive Cussler fans are here...but Im a BIG one, I've read all the books countless times....and Sahara is a fantastic book.

So tonite I found out that Matthew McConaughey is playing Dirk Pitt and (oh god this is awful) William H Macy is playing Sandecker? good grief I think Im going to die.

I almost dont want to go see this.

I am a HUGE Cussler fan, and I am not eagerly anticipating this movie, but I will see it anyway. I'm not as concerned about McConaughey (William H Macy is way miscast, but he's at least a decent actor) as I am about the guy playing Giordino. Steve Zahn is so not Giordino that it's not even funny. And I don't care for Penelope Cruz either. However, my sister (who got me hooked on Cussler) and I have discussed this, and since Cussler himself had a say over casting....we're both putting our faith in his choice and hoping that it doesn't suck royally.

Al is supposed to be a short stocky Italian!! Steve Zahn in NO way fits that...ugh, I have no doubt that Macy can probably pull of the "character" but he looks NOTHING like sandecker, and he's way too young. Jason Robards was great when he played in the the really bad Raise the Titanic movie in 1980....too bad he's dead. Cussler wanted Hugh Jackman to play Dirk....and he was all set to do it until shooting for the movie got postponed bye 9/11. HE would have made the perfect Dirk.

Did you see that Cussler's daughter is playing Kitty Mannock?

nice to see another Cussler fan here!!!

I never saw Raise the Titanic, but I've heard that it was horrible. Yeah, Macy is way too young. I think Hugh Jackman would have made a really good Dirk too. The funny thing is, my sister and I have discussed at great length who we would cast as characters should any of his books been made into films (before we knew about Sahara). If you've ever seen Ace Ventura, the guy who plays the computer specialist/guy who asks about the clam chowder is EXACTLY Hiram Yaeger :D I guess we'll just have to wait a month or so and see how it goes!!!

They dont have St. Julian listed in the credits, but if someone were going to play him David Ogden Stiers would be perfect!!! and yes I agree on the choice for Hiram

Man, I love Cussler's books, even if they're considered fluff by a lot of literary snobs. ;)

When I first heard about this movie, I was all excited to see the body of President Lincoln on the big screen, on-board an ironclad, traveling up some Confederate occupied river on its way to Africa, then I found out who they were casting as three of my most beloved characters. McConaughey, Zahn, and Macy???

I'll probably watch it with a hopeful attitude.

Cussler may have signed off on the casting, but I've read that he's suing over final draft.
I've found one link to the story, but I can't find any other verifying sites, so it may be wrong, or resolved already.

Quote:

http://www.countingdown.com/movies/3...tem_id=3329156

Cussler suing over "Sahara" rewrite
SUBMITTED BY Timbo

January 16, 2004 — Clive Cussler, the bestselling author, is suing Crusader Entertainment for allegedly altering the screenplay for "Sahara" without his consent.

"Crusader materially altered the approved screenplay without Cussler's written consent, denied Cussler's express screenplay approval rights under the agreement and has began to film a screenplay which it knows was explicitly disapproved by Cussler," according to the complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by attorney Bert Fields.

According to Cussler's complaint, Crusader acquired options to purchase the motion picture rights to his novels in May 2001, on condition that Cussler had unqualified right of approval over the screenplays and that the approved script would not be materially changed without his written permission. He said Crusader exercised the right to make films of two of his books but subsequently altered the approved script.

The suit seeks to bar Crusader from exercising any further options or rights under their agreement, except for those rights already purchased, as well as at least $10 million in damages.

As far as I know, the lawsuit has been resolved. The movie should have been released this past summer, but it had to be reshot because the director did some things without Cussler's consent, and his consent on everything was written into his contract. That's why (to my understanding) it is being released next month instead as a summer blockbuster.

And pffffffffffff to anyone who thinks they are fluff ;)