The water sequence lasts only seven minutes, but it didn’t come cheap. It was filmed at two locations in Morocco and one in Spain. Producers paid $915,415 for two high-powered boats and $548,162 for two gunboats. They paid $131,950 to build the shell of another vessel that would be blown up on-screen. The four boats were later resold for $803,049. The producers also transported military watercraft from Britain and rented a helicopter at a cost of $28,314 a week to capture aerial footage.
Much of the movie’s weaponry — the “Sahara” budget allocated $288,285 for boat guns, automatic weapons, grenade launchers and 44,000 rounds of ammunition — was used in the chase scene.
Advance production personnel, a marine unit and stunt players needed several weeks to choreograph the chase. The scene took a cast and crew of several hundred three weeks to shoot. Fifteen camera and sound workers squeezed onto the speedboat carrying McConaughey.
One of the boats ran over and destroyed an expensive camera lens, which was replaced by the movie’s insurance carrier.
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Aquatic pursuit
Five boats…$1.6 million
Boat captains and crew…$231,495
Stunt players…$211,120
Boat fuel…$173,700
Site rental fees…$60,231
Set construction…$38,785
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Why the credits don’t say no animals were harmed
ONE of the most dangerous scenes in the filming of “Sahara” involved a stunt man jumping off the backs of racing camels onto a moving train. The sequence was complicated by the refusal of the Malian mammals to run long distances.
“You have to keep hitting it and kicking it to keep it going,” director Breck Eisner said on the “Sahara” DVD. It’s “a very physical thing.”
Although the actual jumps were performed by a trained camel master, there was no independent safety officer on hand during the filming of “Sahara” to monitor the treatment of more than 100 camels, horses, donkeys and other animals. That’s because producers of the $160-million movie opted not to pay a $30 hourly rate plus travel and other expenses, said Karen Rosa, director of the American Humane Assn.’s film and television unit. As a result, the film’s credits could not include a statement certifying that “no animals were harmed” in the making of the movie. “Sahara” executives said they were not required to use the American Humane Assn. because the production was based in Britain. “No animals were injured during the shooting of the film, and professional animal trainers were used,” one executive said about “Sahara.” He declined to be identified.
The animal-welfare organization assigns safety officers at no cost to about 900 U.S. films annually. “We’ve learned after doing this for 67 years,” Rosa said, “that you need to be there to know the level of care the animals receive.”
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Animals and handlers
Camels…$81,375
Riders and grooms…$79,748
Horses…$71,610
Stabling and transport…$53,989
Horse and camel master…$51,638
Veterinarian…$9,184
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How the stars divvied up the treasure
Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz were romantically linked on the set of “Sahara,” but their pay was anything but close. Here are how they and costar Steve Zahn joined the cast, as well as how much they made and their “star perks.”
Matthew McConaughey
Although studio executives pursued Tom Cruise, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and other A-listers to play Dirk Pitt, Matthew McConaughey lobbied “Sahara” novelist Clive Cussler and pestered producers for the part.
“I always said I was looking for a character that could wrestle with crocodiles in the morning and dance with the queen at the ball that night,” McConaughey, 37, said on a “Sahara” DVD commentary. “That kind of renaissance man [is] Dirk Pitt.”
McConaughey’s persistence paid off. He received an $8-million actor’s fee and $833,923 in what the budget called “star perks.” His company was paid $250,000 for his role as an executive producer. And his contract provided potential box-office bonuses and royalties from merchandising, video game and soundtrack revenues.
All for about 90 days of filming in Morocco, England and Spain.
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Salary: $8 million Perks: $833,923
Entourage travel
$179,262
Makeup artist
$150,223
Stunt double
$124,740
Assistant
$114,000
Colorist
$72,800
Trainer
$67,977
Personal chef
$48,893
Stand-in
$33,869
Security
$29,296
Gym room at hotel
$3,488
Other
$9,375
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Penelope Cruz
For years, author Clive Cussler wanted Salma Hayek to play Eva Rojas, a World Health Organization doctor, in the movie adaptation of his book.
“She was Hispanic, Eva Rojas was Hispanic,” Cussler said in a deposition. “Salma was a very good actor, and she certainly had knock-out looks.”
But producers chose Penelope Cruz for a reason beyond her glamour or talent. “Using Penelope means we have significantly more money to spend on the screen,” producer Karen Baldwin said in an internal e-mail. That’s because hiring the Spanish actress (Hayek is Mexican) helped “Sahara” qualify for $20.4 million in cash incentives to film in Europe.
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