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Did Snobby "Sahara" Stars Sandbag Movie Budget?

Posted Apr 15th 2007 3:12AM by TMZ Staff

We all know beauty isn't cheap -- but looking as good as Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz costs a bloody fortune!
Penelope and Matt
According to a special report from Glenn Bunting of the Los Angeles Times, the people behind the legally troubled 2005 movie, "Sahara," shelled out more than $350,000 to keep the actors fit, fed and and fabulous -- leaving the film's budget, well, in the dust.

In the report, set to be published tomorrow, Bunting claims he has obtained official documents verifying the outrageous expenditures, which include:

Penelope's hairstylist -- $135,550
Penelope's dialogue coach -- $125,804
Matt's Personal trainer -- $67,977
Matt's Personal Chef -- $48,893

With costs like these, it's no wonder the film reportedly needed a colossal $130 million budget!

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76. THE AUTHOR OF "SAHARA", CLIVE CUSTLER, IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THE GREATEST ADVENTURE SCRIBE OF THE PAST FEW DECADES. AFTER HOLLYWOOD SCREWED UP THE STORYLINE WHILE MAKING "RAISE THE TITANIC", MR. CUSTLER ANNOUNCED THAT HE WOULD NO LONGER AUTHORIZE THE FILMING OF ANY OF HIS FABULOUS NOVELS - A GREAT LOSS TO THE ADVENTURE-LOVING PUBLIC. DUE TO THE INEPTNESS OF CERTAIN MOVIE "MOGULS" WE WERE DEPRIVED OF WATCHING DIRK PITT AND HIS SIDEKICK AL SURVIVE LIFE THREATENING SITUATIONS. NOW, WITH THE FAILURE OF "SAHARA", WE'LL NEVER SEE MR. CUSTLER'S WORKS ON FILM DURING HIS LIFETIME (AND CERTAINLY NOT MINE, BEING 66). THAT THE STARS OF "SAHARA" DEMANDED CERTAIN AMINITIES IS NOT UNUSUAL AND DIDN'T ADD TO THE MONETARY PROBLEMS THE PRODUCTION FACED. IT WAS THEIR STILTED PERFORMANCES (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE ACTOR PLAYING AL, WHO WAS GREAT). I THOUGHT THE STORYLINE RAN PRETTY ACCURATE, BUT OBVIOUSLY MR. CUSTLER DIDN'T, AND HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO COUNTS. SHAME ON THE PRODUCERS, ETC. WHO DIDN'T KEEP THEIR WORD.

Posted at 2:05PM on Apr 22nd 2007 by NAP702

77. Now why cant they just hire an american actress, no accent, to play Penelope's part? But seriously, this is why I haven't been to the movie theatres in sooooo long. Why pay w/ my hard earned money for someone else's investment blunder?

Posted at 12:43AM on Apr 21st 2007 by Din

78. Is everyone on here absolutely retarded? This site is a sick waste of internet bandwidth. Whoever is actually concerned with the lives of actors such as these should shoot themselves. The idiot that wrote this article said "With costs like these, it's no wonder the film reportedly needed a colossal $130 million budget!", except didn't look at the fact that all of the prices they listed only add up to a little over $400,000....well short of a million. Tell me how that contributes at all to the other 129 million? I go to film school and look at movies the way they should be looked at. All of you, including the writers of these articles are not even the audience directors are trying to reach. They want intelligent people watching there films and from what I've read here...none of you are. The director could care less what you think of the actor if the film turned out the way he wanted. I haven't seen this film but I guarantee it didn't bomb because of the money spent on actors. So many other things happen behind the scenes that this site doesn't take into account because they only care about the glitz and glamour of celebrity life and the empy-minded individuals who follow it. Dear lord you are all sad wastes of life. Finally, I'd like to say comment number 13, albeit short, spawned my feelings on this so thank you...you actually know how to think. Everyone else, just go on with life because I know you won't change.

Posted at 1:20AM on Apr 22nd 2007 by Nic Berry

79. EVERYONE SHOULD BOYCOTT ANY MOVIE, TV SHOW OR COMMERCIAL WHICH STARS A RACE TRADER. I SURE IN THE HECK WOULD NOT SPEND ONE CENT TO SEE ANY MOVIE, TV SHOW OR COMMERICAL WHICH HAS A RACE TRADER IN IT, AND NEITHER SHOULD ANYONE ELSE!.

Posted at 3:19PM on Apr 30th 2007 by D.

80. The reason the movie tanked was because it sucked and didn't follow the book it was based off of. I like Mathew but he is NOT a Dirk Pitt kind of guy. If any of you have read all the Clive Clussler Dirk Pitt novels you will understand what I'm saying.

Posted at 4:38PM on May 3rd 2007 by Maryr22002

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