Synopsis

Treasure hunter Dirk Pitt searches the West African desert for the lost Civil War ironclad Texas, believed to contain a legendary fortune. His quest becomes entangled with a World Health Organization doctor's investigation into a deadly waterborne disease. Pursued by a ruthless dictator and a corrupt industrialist, Pitt and his companions must uncover the ship's secret before the contamination spreads beyond the region.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is based on Clive Cussler's 1992 novel "Sahara," part of the author's Dirk Pitt adventure series.

• A full-scale replica of the ironclad Texas was constructed for the production. After the 1865 opening sequence was filmed, the set was dismantled and rebuilt in Morocco.

• Much of the desert material was filmed near Erfoud, Morocco. The remote location was difficult to reach, while sandstorms and changing weather regularly disrupted production.

• The interior of Massarde's toxic-waste facility was filmed inside a British factory once used to test jet engines for the Concorde.

• Desert continuity created an unusual challenge: visible footprints could not be easily removed, so some scenes had to be completed in a single take.

• The camel wrangler performed the difficult jump from a camel onto a moving train and doubled for the performers during the stunt.

• A 46-second airplane-crash sequence cost more than $2 million to stage, but it was removed before the theatrical release because it did not work in the finished story.

• The production's reported budget grew from an initial $80 million to approximately $160 million. The film earned about $119 million worldwide and became known as a major financial disappointment.