LATEST: Best-selling author Clive Cussler sued the makers of the movie adaptation of his book SAHARA because they ignored him. The revered writer revealed producers of the action film flop, starring former couple Matthew Mcconaughey and Penelope Cruz, went ahead with film plans without consulting him. In a 2005 deposition read to jurors in New York's Superior Court on Friday (09FEB07), Cussler said, "They were going ahead and producing it without my approval." Cussler is suing Crusader Entertainment, claiming the company breached a contract, in which executives gave Cussler "absolute approval" of the script up until filming began. Crusader executives are counter suing Cussler, accusing him of ambushing the movie by publicly criticising the project upon its release in 2005. One issue raised in court last week was the fact Cussler's daughter, DAYNA, featured in one cut scene in the film. Cussler's literary agent PETER LAMPACK testified that he didn't think producers ever planned to use Dayna's scene, explaining it wasn't part of plot and didn't feature a named actor or actress. The case continues.