 At first, Hugh Jackman (qv) was close to signing for the role of  Dirk Pitt, and as of Summer 2001, filming was proposed to begin by  October of that year. However, due to the 9/11 attacks, filming was  postponed. It was later delayed again when Jackman was busy with  _X2 (2003)_ (qv), and he eventually pulled out so that he could  appear on Broadway in "The Boy From Oz". Some time later,  Tom Cruise (qv) was reported to be attached to star as Dirk Pitt,  but those rumors were quickly squashed.