Actor Justin Bartha started out in the National Treasure franchise when the first movie was made in 2004, and he returned for the 2007 sequel, National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Now he is reprising his role in the Disney+ series National Treasure: Edge of History, but it did take him a while to come aboard even though he has always been hopeful for a third movie in the franchise.
He recently chatted about the series and the hopeful third future film with Variety, and when asked if he had ever considered where Riley Poole might be now 15 years after the last movie, Bartha said:
Not really! But in a storytelling sense, we have been trying to get the third movie off the ground for quite awhile. Jon Turtletaub, the director of those movies, and I would, back in the day, write some stuff together and tinker around with what a third in the series would look like. So there were times where we asked what exactly is going on in the world, and what that meant for the treasure they would be hunting. But we never got as far as answering questions, like, is he married or those kinds of things.
When asked if Bartha was surprised that the franchise went with a series instead of a third film, he responded:
I was skeptical at first, if I’m going to be honest. But when I looked past my initial skepticism, I was excited to see what it was going to be. I have kids now, and I’m really desperate for something to watch with them. We made the original “National Treasure” almost 20 years ago, and those two movies are basically the only two movies I’ve ever made that my kids can watch. Being able to do something that my daughters can watch was what got me past the skepticism. And I’ve known the Wibberleys for a long time, and Jon and Jerry were involved. I knew the heart was in the right place, and they would respect the spirit of the franchise. To be honest, I didn’t jump aboard right away. But after talking with them and looking at my daughters, it was tough to turn my back.
He was then asked if Riley’s “Page 47” reference in the series, which was taken from the second film, was a tease for the potential third movie, Bartha said:
The Page 47 reference was something that I threw in there when we were filming. I just had to. But listen, there is still hope for another movie. Nic is obviously doing great, one of the greatest ever. Jerry 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.
When asked if the Wibberleys ever told him what was on Page 47, Bartha teased:
Oh, I know it all but I can’t tell you. You will have to write your local Disney representative and get the movie made to find out.
Are you hoping for a third National Treasure movie?