Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt Revealed By Clive Cussler with Craig ...

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I recall seeingIndiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark a year afterRaise the Titanic! came
out in the theaters. I almost cried.
The manner in which Spielberg produced a fast-paced, nail-biting adventure was how I had envisioned
the Pitt movie I never got. .
Peter and I have had many, many offers, but the producers in Hollywood are more interested in the art
of the deal than the art of creating a movie with scope and depth. We've turned down many millions of
dollars because I refuse to cheat my readers with another sloppy production. I don't need the money that
badly. I wish to have scnpt and casting approval, but from what I hear from the studio bosses, that's
nonnegotiable. A number of actors have approached Peter about making a deal, but most of them are
not my image of Dirk Pitt, or they are too well known. If a big box-office star plays Dirk Pitt, you don't
see Pitt, only the star. That's why I prefer an actor who is not well known who can become Pitt, much
like Sean Connery became James Bond.
None of the producers and studios gets it. They think any author would sell his soul to have his book
made into a movie. Once was enough for me.
Actors see a chance to increase their fans; producers look only at the money angle. I've yet to be
contacted by a director who has read the books, enjoyed them and asked to sit down with me and
discuss how a movie on Pitt should be made. Not a likely event, considering the egos in Tinsel town, but
who's to say? Someday someone will come along and sell me. But until then, I'll keep writing about Dirk
Pitt, Al Giordino and the NUMA gang and be happy in my ignorance.
CRAIG DIRGO:Tell us about what your life is like now.
CLIVE CUSSLER:Teri raised a family and gave us two terrific grandchildren. Dirk received his
master's degree and works as a financial analyst in Phoenix.
Dana moved to Los Angeles, where she works in the movies. Years ago, the family began spending
time in Arizona when Barbara, Dirk and I began attending the classic car auctions promoted by
Barrett/Jackson and the Kruse brothers. After Dirk entered Arizona State University at Tempe, we
bought a condo in Scottsdale to enjoy the warmer climate during the Colorado winters. Always wanting
a Southwestern adobe home, I looked for two years before I finally found one that reached out and
grabbed me. It was slightly run-down, so we remodeled and landscaped the yard, and I built an office off
to one side of the house, where I have my library, the ship models by Fred Tourneau and marine