How a contractually obligated sequel became a chaotic, desert-bound production nightmare
In short: The Jewel of the Nile was never meant to be a masterpiece. Born from legal threats and studio mandates, the 1985 adventure film faced a series of near-fatal setbacks. From missing film stock to fatal plane crashes, the production was a high-stakes gamble that ultimately stalled a promising franchise.
The production of The Jewel of the Nile was fraught with tension from its inception. Both Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner were contractually obligated to return for the sequel, a prospect Turner initially resisted, calling the script formulaic and sentimental. Only after 20th Century Fox threatened a $25 million lawsuit did she agree to participate, with Douglas personally intervening to secure rewrites. Despite these efforts, the script remained a point of contention; Turner later recalled sitting on a hotel floor in Fez, Morocco, trading pages with Douglas to salvage a version they could both accept.
The filming process in North Africa proved even more volatile. The crew battled 120-degree heat, local customs disputes that required bribes, and a director who struggled to manage the action sequences. In one instance, an entire night of shooting was wasted because the cameras contained no film. Tragedy also struck the production: two weeks before principal photography began, a plane carrying the production designer and production manager crashed during scouting in Morocco, killing everyone on board. The film was later dedicated to their memory, as well as to the original screenwriter, Diane Thomas, who died in a car accident shortly before the film's release.
Despite the chaos, the film achieved a worldwide gross of $96 million, performing similarly to its predecessor. However, it failed to capture the same critical acclaim. While some reviewers enjoyed the chemistry between Douglas and Turner, many felt the plot was riddled with holes and lacked the charm of the first film. The project effectively ended the franchise, and while various attempts to develop a third installment—such as The Crimson Eagle—were proposed over the following decades, none ever moved beyond the draft stage.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Jewel of the Nile
- Also: Wikidata — The Jewel of the Nile · CC0
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