Sahara (2005 film)

Sahara
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Breck Eisner
Screenplay by	James V. Hart Thomas Dean Donnelly Joshua Oppenheimer John C. Richards
Based on	Sahara by Clive Cussler
Produced by	Stephanie Austin Howard Baldwin Karen Baldwin Mace Neufeld
Starring	Matthew McConaughey Steve Zahn Penélope Cruz Lambert Wilson Glynn Turman Rainn Wilson Delroy Lindo William H. Macy
Cinematography	Seamus McGarvey
Edited by	Andrew MacRitchie
Music by	Clint Mansell
Production companies	Bristol Bay Productions Baldwin Entertainment Group Kanzaman Productions Mace Neufeld Productions
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures (United States, United Kingdom and Spain) Buena Vista International Universum Film (Germany) Summit Entertainment (International)
Release dates	April 4, 2005 (2005-04-04) (Hollywood) April 8, 2005 (2005-04-08) (United States)
Running time	124 minutes
Countries	United States United Kingdom Germany Spain
Language	English
Budget	$160 million
Box office	$119.2 million

Sahara is a 2005 American action adventure film directed by Breck Eisner, based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Clive Cussler. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Steve Zahn, and Penélope Cruz, and follows a treasure hunter who teams up with a World Health Organization doctor to locate a lost American Civil War Ironclad warship in the Sahara Desert.

The film was shot in 2003 on location in Morocco and the United Kingdom, and became notable for its troubled production, which saw its budget double from $80 million to $160 million, as well as multiple lawsuits. Sahara was released in the United States on April 8, 2005, and grossed $119 million worldwide against significant costs. The film received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics and is often cited as one of the most expensive box-office failures of all time.

Plot

In 1865, during the final days of the American Civil War, the Confederate ironclad warship CSS Texas, captained by Mason Tombs and carrying the last of the Confederacy’s gold, departs Richmond, Virginia, before mysteriously vanishing.

In the present day, Mali is embroiled in a civil war between General Kazim’s dictatorship and Tuareg rebels. In neighboring Nigeria, World Health Organization (WHO) doctors Eva Rojas and Frank Hopper investigate a mysterious disease affecting populations along the Niger River. After an attempt on her life by a corrupt Tuareg agent named Zakara, Eva is rescued by Dirk Pitt, an adventurer and former Navy SEAL working with the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA).

Dirk is intrigued by a recently discovered Confederate gold coin found in the Niger River and believes it to be a clue to the location of the missing Texas. With the support of NUMA director Admiral James Sandecker, Dirk borrows a yacht and sets off upriver with his colleagues Al Giordino and Rudi Gunn. They transport Eva and Hopper to Mali, where the doctors continue investigating the disease, and then proceed with their search.

While collecting water samples, the NUMA team discovers toxic red algae, unusual in freshwater. Businessman Yves Massarde and General Kazim, who are responsible for the waste pollution, attempt to suppress Eva’s findings. After Kazim’s men destroy the NUMA yacht, Dirk, Al, and Eva flee, though Hopper is killed in the attack.

Captured by Tuareg rebels, the trio convinces their leader Modibo that they are also targets of Kazim. Eva learns that the mysterious illness originates from water contamination due to hazardous waste. Meanwhile, Al stumbles upon ancient cave paintings suggesting that the CSS Texas became stranded as the river dried up and now lies beneath the desert.

Their search leads them to Massarde’s solar-powered waste disposal facility, which is the source of the pollution. Rudi and Sandecker deduce that if the chemicals reach the Atlantic Ocean, the resulting algae bloom will cause an ecological disaster. The U.S. government, however, is hesitant to act.

Dirk, Al, and Eva infiltrate the plant by train but are captured. While Eva is held hostage, Dirk and Al are sent to Kazim but manage to escape in the desert and reassemble a derelict aircraft into a makeshift land yacht. They contact Sandecker, who warns of the urgent need to shut down the plant.

Returning with help from the Tuaregs, Dirk and Al attempt to stop Massarde, who plans to destroy the facility to cover up the contamination. Al disarms the explosives, while Dirk rescues Eva and kills Zakara. Massarde escapes by helicopter.

Fleeing in a vintage car, the trio is pursued by Kazim in an attack helicopter. Explosions expose the wreckage of the Texas, where they seek refuge. Using one of the ironclad’s cannons, they shoot down the helicopter, killing Kazim. Modibo’s forces arrive and defeat Kazim’s army.

The plant is shut down, halting the pollution. Sandecker secures covert government funding for NUMA. The Confederate gold is left with the Tuaregs, and Massarde is implied to have been assassinated by a CIA operative. Dirk and Eva decide to pursue a relationship.

Cast

• Matthew McConaughey as Dirk Pitt
• Steve Zahn as Al Giordino
• Penélope Cruz as Eva Rojas
• Lambert Wilson as Yves Massarde
• Lennie James as Brigadier General Zateb Kazim
• William H. Macy as Admiral James Sandecker
• Rainn Wilson as Commander Rudi Gunn
• Delroy Lindo as Carl
• Patrick Malahide as Ambassador Polidori
• Glynn Turman as Frank Hopper
• Dayna Cussler as Kitty Mannock (Deleted scenes)
• Robert Cavanah as Captain Tombs
• Paulin Fudouop as Modibo
• Jude Akuwudike as Imam
• Clint Dyer as Oshodi
• Mark Aspinall as Lawyer
• Rakie Ayola as Mrs. Nwokolo
• Christopher Bello as Train Driver
• Nicholas Beveney as Gunboat 1 Officer
• Maurice Lee as Zakara

Production

Principal photography for Sahara began in November 2003, with the film shot primarily on location in Morocco, along with additional scenes filmed in England (including Hampshire and Shepperton Studios) and Spain. A 46-second action sequence reportedly cost $2 million to produce but was ultimately omitted from the final cut.

The lead cast was compensated significantly, with Matthew McConaughey earning $8 million, Penélope Cruz receiving $1.6 million, and Rainn Wilson paid $45,000. A total of 10 screenwriters contributed to polishing the screenplay, with 4 receiving official credit. The script development process added approximately $3.8 million to the production budget, including $500,000 paid to David S. Ward for his uncredited work.

Costs and bribery allegations

Sahara was initially green-lit with a production budget of $80 million, but costs escalated to $100 million by the start of filming and ultimately reached approximately $160 million upon completion. An additional $61 million was spent on distribution and marketing. In 2014, the Los Angeles Times listed Sahara as one of the most expensive box office flops of all time.

On April 15, 2007, the Los Angeles Times published a detailed special report examining the film's ballooning expenses, using Sahara as a case study to highlight how Hollywood productions can incur massive costs and still fail commercially. The report drew on internal documents revealed during litigation related to the film, including references to payments and alleged bribes to Moroccan officials, some of which were noted as potentially problematic under U.S. anti-corruption laws.

Marketing

To promote the film, actor Matthew McConaughey undertook a cross-country tour in his personal Airstream trailer, which was decorated with large Sahara posters on both sides. He visited military bases, attended events such as the 47th Daytona 500—where he served as Grand marshal—and hosted advance screenings, signed autographs, and participated in media interviews at various stops. Highlights from the promotional tour were featured in a special on the E! network, and McConaughey chronicled the journey in a blog hosted on MTV’s entertainment website.

According to McConaughey, Sahara was envisioned as the first installment in a franchise based on Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt novels, modeled after the James Bond series. However, due to the film’s underperformance at the box office, plans for a sequel were shelved.

Reception

Box office

Sahara opened at #1 at the U.S. box office, earning $18 million in its opening weekend. It went on to gross approximately $69 million domestically and an additional $50 million from international markets, for a worldwide total of $119 million.

Despite its earnings, the film underperformed in relation to its high production and marketing costs. According to reports, the film's box office gross amounted to less than half of its total expenses. A financial executive associated with the film estimated losses of around $105 million, though industry-standard Hollywood accounting calculated a net loss of $78.3 million, based on projected revenue.

Under Hollywood accounting methods, Sahara had a projected revenue of $202.9 million against total expenses of $281.2 million, contributing to its status as one of the most expensive box office flops of all time.

Critical reception

Sahara received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 37% based on 175 reviews, with an average rating of 5.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "A mindless adventure flick with a preposterous plot." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 41 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film 2 stars out of 4, describing it as “a goofy, overproduced action-comedy” and criticizing its convoluted plot and lack of coherence. Common Sense Media noted that while the film contains "some fun action moments," it is ultimately "overlong and violent," recommending it only for older teens and adults.

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave it a critical review, calling it “a ponderous and misfiring adventure” that fails to deliver on charm or excitement. Empire described the film as “visually impressive but narratively hollow,” awarding it two out of five stars and criticizing its tonal inconsistencies. Stephen Holden of The New York Times found Sahara to be “a sprawling mess of a movie,” but acknowledged its occasionally entertaining set pieces.

CNN described the film as “style over substance,” noting that its excessive set design and weak storytelling undermine the adventure. James Berardinelli of ReelViews gave the film 2 stars out of 4, writing: “Sahara tries hard to be entertaining, but the effort is undermined by a lack of compelling characters and a story that spirals into absurdity.”

Accolades

Award	Date of the ceremony	Category	Recipients	Result	Ref.
Teen Choice Awards	16 August 2005	Choice Movie Actor – Action/Thriller	Matthew McConaughey	nom
		Choice Movie Actress – Action/Thriller	Penélope Cruz	nom
		Choice Movie Liplock	Matthew McConaughey and Penélope Cruz	nom
IFTA Film & Drama Awards	5 November 2005	Best Cinematography	Seamus McGarvey	won
BMI Film & TV Awards	17 May 2006	Film Music Award	Clint Mansell	won

Legal action

Author Clive Cussler was involved in a prolonged legal battle with producer Philip Anschutz and his company Crusader Entertainment (later part of Anschutz Entertainment Group), beginning in February 2005. Cussler sued for $100 million, alleging breach of contract and a lack of promised script approval during the adaptation of his novel Sahara. He also claimed Crusader failed to exercise its option on a second book. Anschutz filed a countersuit, alleging that Cussler had sabotaged the film’s development and publicly undermined it before release.

On May 15, 2007, a jury ruled in favor of Anschutz, awarding $5 million in damages, and in 2008, Judge John Shook ordered Cussler to pay $13.9 million in legal fees. However, in March 2010, the California Courts of Appeal overturned those awards, determining that neither party was entitled to damages.

Cussler attempted to revive the case later that year, claiming he was still owed $8.5 million for rights to a second book. The production company argued that the matter had already been fully litigated and rejected by multiple courts.

In December 2012, the Second Appellate District of the California Courts of Appeal ruled that there was no prevailing party, stating that after years of litigation, “both sides recovered nothing—not one dime of damages and no declaratory relief.”

See also

• Bom Jesus, a ship with treasure found off the African coast in 2008

External links

• Sahara at IMDb