Step aside, Indiana Jones. Dirk Pitt is the big screen’s next great action adventurer. At least played by Matthew McConaughey, he is.
Based on Clive Cussler’s bestseller, Sahara marks McConaughey‘s first official foray into the action-adventure genre. He stars as Pitt, a master explorer who embarks on a treasure hunt through the treacherous terrain of West Africa. Along for the ride is his stalwart partner Al Giordino (Steve Zahn), who always knows just what to say, as well as a beautiful doctor (Penelope Cruz), whose search to find the source of a mysterious illness effecting the local denizens collides with the boys’ quest to find a phantom Civil War ship, harboring millions in Confederate gold.
Sitting outside on a breezy afternoon in south Miami Beach, the hunky Texan talked with us about the pure thrills he had making the movie–from bringing Cussler’s enigmatic Dirk Pitt to life to windsurfing on a land yacht to going scorpion hunting. Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?
How closely does Sahara follow Cussler’s book?
Matthew McConaughey: As executive producer, it proved challenging. It was a 700 page book that you had to break down into a 120 page script. You’re going to go from A to C and sometimes skip out B. You’re going to pick out the scenes that capture the essence of the what the author was trying to get across. Even before I knew of Clive Cussler’s books and his character, Dirk Pitt, I was looking for a role like this. Where’s the renaissance guy, where’s Allie Fox from The Mosquito Coast in an adventure? A guy who goes to another land, has something he’s wanting to prove and something he has to find. Runs into trouble but gets out of it but in a more comedic and action-adventure way. A guy who could wrestle a gator Saturday morning and then dance with the Queen Saturday night. Dirk’s a senator’s son but a scavenger of the deep. He’s a scientist but damn he’s lucky.
Boy, is he ever lucky! There were many times I was going, “Hey, now, wait a minute, how many bullets did he just dodge?”
McConaughey: [Laughs] But I bet you weren’t doing it for long.
The scenery was also just stunning in the film.
McConaughey: Africa is probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I’ve been over there twice on my own, to Mali, coincidentally, where the story takes place. And I have never met more beautiful people or seen more beautiful country. You talk about some history, some ancestors and some lineage, and respect for your ancestors. They had such a simple way. A lot of the people I spent time with, they’re sustaining, they are maintaining. They don’t have a view of the future. They don’t go, “If I do this work today, maybe in five years I’ll be doing this.” They live day to day. Plant today what you’ll eat tomorrow. Life expectancy is 48. But I never met happier people in my life.
I understand there were also a few sand storms as well.
McConaughey: Yep, we had a couple of storms that shut down production. Just like the movies, you can see it coming. The first time it happened, we turned to the locals and they’re like, “Yes, you better cover your stuff.” You lock down. It was frustrating, but then there’s the second time and then a locust swarm comes in. You just start using it. We decided to shoot through the sand storms, through the swarms of locusts, just to see what happens. It helped with the acting, that’s for sure. We learned to snuggle with Mother Nature, rather than struggle with it. You’re pretty much at her submission, over there in the Sahara desert. But you can’t get down on it, you find a way to laugh.
How would you guys break it up?
McConaughey: Hmmm, how would we break it up? We’d go scorpion hunting or for a long walk. There were all kinds of fossil and things you could find, if you were into that. Or we’d box. To hit each other a few times just to wake up.
Scorpion hunting? You really did take some chances making this film. What was the biggest thrill?
McConaughey: That land yacht, sailing across the desert was a real buzz, cause it was scary as hell. When the winds come from behind you and you grab the sail and it pulls you off your feet, you’re like ‘Yo, Yo, YO! Did we get that? Is the gate clean? Let’s move on!” They’d ask if wanted to rehearse and I’d say “Nah, record this one. If I break my leg, get it on film!” Racing those camels was fun, too. It’s very different from a horse.
Penelope Cruz was telling us about her experiences with her camel.
McConaughey: She got to be very good on her camel but saved it all for the take. She was lagging behind Steve [Zahn] and I but when we starting rolling film, she flew by us. This kind of movie is not for everybody, man or woman, especially going in as a woman in a big action adventure with the guys. But she dove in, she wanted to do that and she did.
Even though you and Penelope definitely click, it’s your chemistry with Steve Zahn that really comes shining through.
McConaughey: That’s one of the things about the movie people are responding to, on how much of a buddy movie it is. Part of it is that we had to make sure that it’s obvious how long these guys have been doing this. You are a fly on the wall for one of these adventures. We’ve had 20 adventures. We’ll have 20 more. So as much as we are introducing this characters and this story, we had to quickly get into it and show the familiarity. It’s like how I deal with my own friends. When you have good friends you’ve been around, every time they talk, you don’t give them your full attention. You don’t look them in the eye and stop. Half the time, you’re listening, half the time, you are ignoring them. That’s the way it is between Dirk and Al. Hopefully at the end, you’ll want to jump on for the next adventure with them.
Are you ready to be the next big action hero?
McConaughey: I’m certainly ready to be Dirk Pitt again. I had a blast, as I think you can tell by watching the movie. The film knows what it is, has a real definite personality to it. Sets up the rules in the first act with a wink. And then never really breaks them, so in that way it remains a classy action adventure. Doesn’t take itself too seriously, got some killer action sequences. Whether you’re racing convertibles, camels or land yachts across the desert. And it still has an epic feel, because we are over there in Africa. You know we’re not in Nevada.
Sahara opens in theaters April 8.
