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Tag: National Treasure

  • Disney+ Not Moving Forward with ‘National Treasure’ Season 2

    Disney+ Not Moving Forward with ‘National Treasure’ Season 2

    Disney+ has decided not to move forward with a second season for the National Treasure spinoff show, Edge of History. Disney Branded Television and ABC Signature tried to grow the classic film franchise that starred Nicolas Cage. Lisette Olivera headlined the series opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones and even starred some original cast members from the films.

    It’s a shame to see the series not move forward, as it was a unique offering giving the streaming service a unique project with an adventure vibe. Many have hoped to also see Nicolas Cage return to the role of Benjamin Franklin Gates in an upcoming season. Still, there’s always the opportunity that they may try to bring back the franchise as a theatrical release given it’s a well-established IP.

    Disney+ has recently been on a canceling spree, as they’ve let go of series like Big Shot, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, Diary of a Future President, Turner & Hooch, as well as the Mysterious Benedict Society. It’s unclear if this is due to a lack of viewership or also the streaming service reducing its focus on streaming spend given the new direction for Disney’s future investments.

    Source: Deadline

  • Disney+’s ‘National Treasure’ Star on Stepping in Nicolas Cage’s Shadow

    Disney+’s ‘National Treasure’ Star on Stepping in Nicolas Cage’s Shadow

    National Treasure is making a big comeback on Disney+ but with a few new faces. Nicolas Cage won’t return as Ben Gates but it opens up the possibility for a new generation to carry on his character’s mission. As it turned out, Lisette Olivera was the one to nab the lead role for the spin-off series titled Edge of History. While the franchise wasn’t the biggest box office draw, it still made enough to get a sequel and gain cult status. So, it wasn’t easy for the actress to step in those shoes.

    After my casting announcement had been made and the whole world knew it was me that was gonna be at the forefront of the franchise, there were some people that were disappointed, but there were a lot of people that were very supportive

    Lisette Olivera

    Still, the series is set to carry on the legacy that the original established, especially with the original writers of the films, Marianne Wibberly and Cormac Wibberley, once again returning for the new production. She got the chance to highlight elements they couldn’t in the films due to the limited runtime.

    The story of telling the history of America is so interesting because it depends on the point of view. We haven’t really covered that in any of the movies.

    Marianne Wibberley

    It definitely sounds like they are embracing aspects of the original while adding a new spin. Plus, if the show draws an audience and gets additional seasons there’s always another chance for Nicolas Cage to return and maybe take the new explorer under his wing in an unlikely pairing.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • SDCC: ‘National Treasure’ Episode Count Revealed

    SDCC: ‘National Treasure’ Episode Count Revealed

    It is not Nicolas Cage stealing the Declaration of Independence, or Diane Kruger having to reject his advances, but we are on the road back to National Treasure. The original, and its sequel, made over $800 million at the box office and, while the third movie never came to fruition, it seems we are about to get the next best thing! That’s right, friends: the conspiracy theory and puzzles we’ve come to expect are returning, albeit with an incredibly diverse cast in the Disney Plus streaming series National Treasure: Edge of History.

    National Treasure: Edge of History will focus on Jess Morales, played by Lisette Olivera, a 20-year old DACA recipient who is pulled into a globe-trotting adventure in search of her family history. Olivera will be joined by the legendary Catherine Zeta-Jones as well as franchise stalwart Justin Bertha, in this serialized entry into the franchise, which will premiere on Disney+ and will be led by the same team that wrote and directed the first film. We haven’t had much information on plot or any other recurring stars other than Bertha, but we now have a little more to go on.

    The series’ first season will be 10 episodes long, with the entire series going 10 hours in length, providing fans with the equivalent runtime of five National Treasure films, The series will act as a starring vehicle for Olivera, and one that could catapult her into stardom if it becomes a bit for Disney+. Crossing paths with a legend like Zeta-Jones will only serve to uplift her stature here. Principal photography began in February of this year in Baton Rouge, Louisiana ahead of an expected 2023 release.

  • SDCC: First Look at Harvey Keitel’s Return to the ‘National Treasure’ Franchise

    SDCC: First Look at Harvey Keitel’s Return to the ‘National Treasure’ Franchise

    There’s been quite some excitement about what the future has in store with Disney+’s National Treasure spinoff. Many were sad that Nicolas Cage was not set to return in the series that has the subtitle Edge of History, but with a new generation of world adventurers looking for lost treasure, there’s always the chance they run across some familiar faces.

    As it turns out, the San Diego Comic-Con panel for National Treasure has unveiled that Harvey Keitel will return to the franchise. That is not all, as Twitter user @DAPs_Magic has shared a screenshot from the panel that offers our first look at the actor returning to the franchise after all these years.

    It’ll be interesting if they are starting to build up more cameos in future seasons. Cage is still the top choice to make a return and Keitel isn’t the only franchisee veteran to make a return, as Justin Bartha is also going to make his return from the original franchise. Disney+ has become focused on expanding its IP offerings beyond just Marvel and Star Wars, which still dominate its discourse. So, it’ll be interesting to see what surprises they might have in store for us.

    Source: Twitter, SDCC

  • ‘National Treasure’s Justin Bartha to Return for Disney+ Spinoff Series

    ‘National Treasure’s Justin Bartha to Return for Disney+ Spinoff Series

    It looks like one original cast member is making his return to the upcoming National Treasure spinoff series, as Disney+ took to its official Twitter account to announce that Justin Bartha is returning in a guest role. He’ll join the series as Riley Poole one more time, who was Nicolas Cage‘s nerdy sidekick and computer expert. The big confirmation with this is that the new series takes place in the same world as the original two films were, which opens up the window for other cameos later down the line. There’s no word if Cage might be interested in also reprising his role as Ben for the series, but the possibility definitely seems to be there.

    It’s unclear if he’ll have any ties to the original films, or if he is simply reprising his role for an unrelated cameo appearance. The Disney+ series focuses on a completely new cast that follows Lisette Alexis‘ Jess as she embarks on an adventure of a lifetime to find a long-lost Pan-American treasure. Catherine Zeta-Jones has also been cast in a major role and will make Jess’ adventure quite a bit more difficult. So far, there’s no word if the series is being produced with multiple seasons in mind.

    It’s great to see these legacy franchises include actors from the originals that inspired it. It adds that feeling of passing the torch even if not everyone is on board. Who knows, they could also always surprise viewers with a last-minute cameo, especially with films that became cult classics long after they premiered.

    Source: Twitter

  • Breeda Wool Joins the Cast of ‘National Treasure’ for Disney+

    Breeda Wool Joins the Cast of ‘National Treasure’ for Disney+

    Disney Plus’ National Treasure series has added yet another actor to its roster.

    Breeda Wool is the latest actor to join the cast of National Treasure for Disney Plus. She joins the previously announced Lisette Alexis and Catherine Zeta-Jones, with Alexis set as the series lead, Jess. Zeta-Jones will serve as the series co-lead, Billie, while Wool will take on the role of Kacey, a sarcastic, kick-ass henchwoman who also serves as Billie’s second-in-command. Wool’s role will be a recurring one.

    The National Treasure series will expand upon the movie franchise, while telling this new story through the story of Jess, a DREAMer in search of answers about her family — who embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to uncover the truth about the past and save a lost Pan-American treasure.

    Also starring in the forthcoming series are Lyndon Smith, Zuri Reed, Jake Austin Walker, Antonio Cipriano and Jordan Rodrigues.

    Mira Nair (Queen of Katwe) will direct the pilot episode from a script by Cormac Wibberley and Marianne Wibberley. Production on the series kicked off in mid-February in Baton Rogue.

    National Treasure is being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Jon Turteltaub and Marianne and Cormac Wibberley.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Disney+’s ‘National Treasure’ Adds Catherine Zeta-Jones

    Disney+’s ‘National Treasure’ Adds Catherine Zeta-Jones

    the upcoming spinoff of the popular National Treasure films has found its new co-lead in Catherine Zeta-Jones. She will star opposite Lisette Alexis, who was cast back in October after her breakout role in Total Eclipse. Jerry Bruckheimer returns to executive produce the project with Jon Turteltaub set to direct, as well as Marianne and Cormac Wibberley set to write the series. It won’t be a direct adaptation of the original film series and there’s no word we should expect familiar faces to make an appearance.

    The story focused on Alexis‘ Jess, who is a dreamer hoping to find answers on her family and embarks on an adventure that will lead her to uncover a lost Pan-American treasure – wouldn’t be a National Treasure film without one. Zeta-Jones will take on the role of Billie, who will race for the same treasure, as it not only has a monetary value but also a deeper connection to the character, who grew to become a black market specialist after growing up penniless.

    She will join additional series regulars Zuri Reed, Jake Austin Walker, Jordan Rodrigues, Antonio Cipriano, and Lyndon Smith. Production is currently eyeing a start this month in Baton Rouge. It’ll be interesting to see how they tackle the franchise’s overall atmosphere and Indiana Jones-inspired adventure atmosphere.

    Source: Deadline

  • Disney+’s ‘National Treasure’ Adds ‘Total Eclipse’s Lisette Alexis as Series Lead

    Disney+’s ‘National Treasure’ Adds ‘Total Eclipse’s Lisette Alexis as Series Lead

    It looks like Disney has found the headliner for their upcoming National Treasure series on Disney+. Deadline shared that Lisette Alexis from Total Eclipse fame landed the leading role. Jerry Bruckheimer returns alongside director Jon Turteltaub as executive producers. The pilot was written by Marianne and Cormac Wibberley and will act as an expansion of the original film franchise. Alexis’ character, Jess, will go on an adventure of a lifetime to find out about her past to save a Pan-American treasure.

    Mira Nair will direct the pilot episode that expands the world we learned through Nicolas Cage‘s Benjamin Gates. Jess is a brilliant and resourceful mind that can’t get enough of a “good mystery.” Of course, she’s talented in solving them and it ends up leading to her uncovering some long-hidden history, which may connect to her mysterious parents. Episodes will also be written by Suits‘ Rick Muirragui.

    They are currently eyeing a production start in 2022. It’s a big step for actress Lisette Alexis, as she just recently starred opposite Sierra McCormick in We Need To Do Something. Her big starring role was in a few episodes of the TV series Total Eclipse as Belle in 2019. It’ll be interesting to see if they build up a potential connection to Gates at some point to interconnect the projects.

    Source: Deadline, IMDb

  • Latina-Led ‘National Treasure’ Original Series Heading to Disney+

    Latina-Led ‘National Treasure’ Original Series Heading to Disney+

    In the early 2000s, film producer Jerry Bruckheimer teamed up with Walt Disney Pictures to produce an action-adventure mystery film franchise based on the history of the United States and the many conspiracies surrounding its founding. It would become known as the National Treasure franchise. Almost 15 years after the release of the sequel, various rumors about a revival have been making the rounds. Finally, the project got greenlit as an original series for Disney+.

    While details regarding the show are scarce, Deadline revealed that the first season will consist of 10 episodes. The biggest surprise is that it is a departure from the original films, as it is dubbed as a “complete reimagining” of the franchise. The project will be written by the same writers, Marianne Wibberley and Cormac Wibberley, who are returning alongside producer Jerry Bruckheimer.  Mira Nair has joined the project as director.

    This reimagining will get told from the perspective of Jess Morales and her friends. They will set out on an adventure to uncover the history behind her family and discover new, untold treasures. The series will also explore multiple thematics that are relevant to today’s day and age. Of course, it will keep the same sense of adventure, appreciation, and conspiracy inspired by the American history that these films explored in the 2000s. No date has gotten revealed for its release at this time.

    Source: Deadline