The California Court of Appeal issued its opinion today in the controversial case of Cussler v. Crusader concerning the film produced by Phillip Anschutz’s Crusader Films (now “Bristol Bay Productions”), based on Clive Cussler’s best selling novel “Sahara.”

The court reversed the trial court’s award of $5 million to Crusader, holding that Cussler was not in breach of the express or implied provisions of the contract.

The opinion affirmed the ruling that Crusader did breach the contract, and ruled that Crusader was barred from claiming that Cussler was not entitled to the balance of payments under the contract.

Bert Fields, Cussler’s lead lawyer, said the court’s decision vindicated Cussler, among other things, in ruling that Crusader breached the contract and that Cussler did not.