At last count, there have been 18 books in the "Dirk Pitt" adventures by bestselling author, Clive Cussler since they were first published in 1973. Only one other has been filmed - Raise the Titanic in 1980 - and now there's Sahara, the 11th in the series.
Matthew McConaughey takes on the role of the modern day adventurer whose latest exploit takes him on a search through some of the most dangerous regions of West Africa for what is known as "The Ship of Death". It's actually a long lost battleship of the American Civil War, which protects a secret cargo.
Dirk goes after the treasure with sidekick, Al Giordino (Steve Zahn) and when they realise the ship may be linked to a mysterious plague that is sweeping the area, they join forces with beautiful doctor, Eva Rojas (Penelope Cruz).