Riley Poole actor Justin Bartha provides a reassuring update on the National Treasure 3 script. Released in 2004, the first National Treasure film introduced audiences to Nicolas Cage's Ben Gates, a historian who steals the Declaration of Independence with Riley, his sidekick, in order to uncover a long-lost Templar treasure before a group of mercenaries. While not fairing particularly well with critics, director Jon Turteltaub's film was a big hit with audiences and a sequel was released 3 years later. There have been no feature films in the franchise since then, but a new Disney+ show, National Treasure: Edge of History, is currently in the midst of season 1, which sees the return of Riley as a supporting character.Producer Jerry Bruckheimer recently provided a positive update on National Treasure 3, assuring fans that development on the sequel is still ongoing behind the scenes. Now, in a recent interview with Variety, Bartha reveals what he knows about the film and offers an update on the script. While it doesn't sound like National Treasure 3 is moving forward just yet, the actor suggests it might only be a matter of time. Check out Bartha's full comment below:
“But listen, there is still hope for another movie. Nic is obviously doing great, one of the greatest ever. Jerry [Bruckheimer] just had a big hit with Top Gun: Maverick, and he is doing great. And the constant drum beat from the fans for a third movie just makes it a no-brainer for me.
There is a script. That’s all I’ll say. There have been a few different scripts, actually, but the one thing that has to happen is for all the stars to align. I had seen something awhile ago, and it was solid, but the unsung hero of these movies that doesn’t get mentioned as much is Jon Turtletaub. Those movies really are an extension of his being. He is very smart and funny, and has a buoyancy to him that mirrors the tone of the movies. I think he has to feel really comfortable and feel like he can see the movie before it happens — and it is getting closer to that.”
What National Treasure 3 Could Be About
While the plot of a third movie in the franchise is anyone's guess, National Treasure: Book of Secrets could hold the key to setting up whatever adventure is to come. In the follow-up to the original National Treasure film, Cage's character doesn't have to steal another important historical document, but must instead kidnap the President of the United States in order to discover the secrets held within the pages of a secret book that only sitting presidents have access to. After willingly giving up the location of the book, Bruce Greenwood's President tells Gates to check out page 47, in particular, which is brought up again at the end of the film. It's never revealed what secrets are on page 47, but it could very well be a clue to another lost treasure or historical artifact.
Although it's possible that National Treasure 3 won't feature anything to do with page 47 of the Book of Secrets, one Riley line in the new Disney+ show could suggest otherwise. In the most recent episode of National Treasure: Edge of History, it's revealed that Riley and Ben are working on unraveling another mystery, with Riley mentioning that he's got 47 reasons to keep quiet about what exactly the project is. Bartha has said that he improvised the line, but, when taken with his recent comment about the status of National Treasure 3, the line could be an indication of what adventures are to come.
It's also possible, of course, that National Treasure 3 won't be directly connected to either of the previous two films and will instead introduce an entirely new mystery for Ben, Riley, and Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger) to solve. After all, there are many aspects of American history that the franchise has not yet touched upon that could provide an interesting topic for the third movie to explore. While Bartha's comment affirms that National Treasure 3 is not yet a sure thing, it also suggests that an official announcement could come at some point this year.
Source: Variety