'Sahara' jury selection starts

Cussler suing Crusader over 2005 film

By JANET SHPRINTZ

Hollywood is expected to again air its dirty laundry in court as the trial over "Sahara" gets under way this week.
Jury selection began Monday in author Clive Cussler's lawsuit against producer Philip Anschutz over the poorly performing 2005 film that starred Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz. Cussler is suing Anschutz's company, Crusader Entertainment, claiming his extensive rights of approval over the script and other aspects of the film were violated.

Anschutz countersued, claiming that Cussler virtually blackmailed the company by refusing to give script approval and that he tanked the movie by disparaging it in public. Anschutz also alleges that Cussler made racist and anti-Semitic remarks during the production of the film.

Trial is expected to take nine weeks, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge John Shook told potential jurors Monday. In addition to Cussler and Anschutz, the vast witness list includes producers Howard and Karen Baldwin, Mace Neufield, Matthew McConaughey, Sherry Lansing and Breck Eisner, who directed "Sahara."

The case should start in earnest by the end of the week, after jury selection is complete. Cussler was in attendance Monday with his attorneys Bert Fields and Elisabeth Moriarty of Greenberg Glusker.

The Anschutz entities are represented by Alan Rader and Marvin Putnam of O'Melveny & Myers. If jury selection is any indication, the trial should have some fireworks.

Fields asked potential jurors Monday if any of them had a problem with racial slurs. Curiously, only one potential juror said he did.

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I wonder if the trial is a good thing or a bad thing. A discision for Dr. Cussler could go a long way for all writers and one against him could do so much harm to future writers and movies. Either way who's the winner? Just my thought.

So Matthew is gonna be a witness? Hmmm...that might be awkward. :unsure:

Although I don't know the details obviously, it seems to be the in thing in Hollywood at the moment to claim your opponent has made anti-semitic remarks.

I find it hard to believe that CC would do such a thing.

I think all of us want to see more DP books turned into films so here's hoping that this is over and done with quickly and fairly. Will probably cause potential creators of the film to tread carefully though. Having said that, if you agree to having the author agree to the script, you use the script that has been approved!

beer:

Andy

Regardless of who wins, it's more publicity for both sides, maybe more Sahara viewers & more Cussler readers....so in the end they both win IMO :P

Definitely. Isn't he a fan of the books? I wonder who he's going to side with.

In all honesty, I think we all lose. No matter who wins, we the fans are screwed out of any more movies. And I really want more DP movies.

Looks like dear Mr. Anschutz is up to his usual tricks. Asking the Jury about taking offense to racial slurs points to more of Anschutz's smear campaign against Clive.

Actually, Sean, it was Clive's lawyer who asked the jurors if they had a problem with racial slurs.

Man I kinda wish I were on the jury, but I'd get kicked off so fast it wouldn't be funny. Actually, there's no way I'd be approved in the first place, because I am obviously a biased fan of Clive's.

I wonder if it will be as hard to find people who are unfamiliar with Clive's work, the movie Sahara, and the trial itself as it was to find the same during the O.J. Simpson trial?

Never go against your boss! He is employed by the movie studio <_<

Matthew was also an Executive Producer for the movie.
If it wasn't for the movie, I would not be reading the Dirk Pitt novels, because I had never heard of them before.
I only saw the movie because Matthew was in it.

I never realised another person's PC-ness is the basis for sticking to or breaking a contract.

Lat, I couldn't have said that better myself!! th: