DECEMBER 2002
We can call this a “film industry close encounter.” An arrangement through an acquaintance that was friends with a movie producer who in turn was to forward a promotional package to a William Morris agent, fell though. We never heard back from the phone messages to the agent.
If you’re wondering “how difficult could it be to sell rights to a novel,” consider this: After an abysmal movie called Raise The Titanic, writer Clive Cussler refused to sell his movie rights until granted script and actor approval. He finally got that and in 2001 I read that Hugh Jackman was slated to play Cussler’s hero, Dirk Pitt. But when I attended a Fort Worth appearance by Cussler in early December of 2002, I learned that Jackman had skipped off to do Broadway and script adaptations had flopped. Furthermore, Tom Cruise had expressed interest without any follow-up. So, here we have an established Author with one movie under his belt and all his ducks in a row. What happens? Nothing. If Cussler can get that sort of run-around, I may be in for a long voyage.
Rest assured that I am doing everything I can to bring this to fruition, and I appreciate all the support and interest.
The Cussler novel involved with all this was Sahara. After a long pre-production effort, the producers and Cussler settled upon Mathew McConnaughey for the lead—which wasn’t Cussler’s first choice. And after all these years of waiting to be in control, the authority for which Cussler had so long held out was wrest from him (I’m not sure how). Still, somehow or another, the producers managed to complete the project and have released the film—even though Cussler brought legal action for their having violated the contract. If the movie is successful Cussler said he would, “puke all the way to the bank.”
