Clive Cussler Pays $20.9 Million, Appeals Sahara Ruling

Posted on July 29, 2009

Philip Anschutz's production company has finally collected the last payment of the $20.9 million that author Clive Cussler was ordered to pay as a result of the long legal proceedings between the two men over the box office flop Sahara. But the case isn't over yet. Cussler has vowed to appeal the judgment.

Anschutz's attorneys notified a Los Angeles court that Anschutz's Bristol Bay Productions - formerly known as Crusader Entertainment - had received the final $8.1 million check from Cussler, the Los Angeles Times reported online Monday. The legal battle began with Cussler's unsuccessful lawsuit over the movie flop Sahara, which Crusader produced. The 2005 action-adventure film starred Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz.

Cussler - whose 1992 book in his Dirk Pitt adventure series was the basis for the movie - had sued for about $8.5 million from Crusader, alleging that the company violated an agreement to let Cussler approve the movie's screenplay. Crusader counter-sued, claiming that Cussler had hurt the film's prospects by demanding script changes and criticizing the movie in public, according to Variety.

Crusader also claimed that it had agreed to buy the rights to Cussler's book and another Dirk Pitt novel - a $20 million combined deal - based on sales figures that turned out to be exaggerated.

Anschutz also was awarded a whopping $13.9 million in attorneys' fees. Those are about to go up again now that there will be an appeal.