While Nicolas Cage is obviously the most famous actor in the cult favorite National Treasure franchise, there’s another actor who got just as much screen time, if not as much attention – Justin Bartha.
He played the Robin to Cage’s Batman, and offered some fun comedic distraction. Now, we’re finding out he’ll be reprising his role as Riley Poole in the Disney Plus sequel series, according to Deadline.
Bartha will guest star alongside series stars Catherine Zeta-Jones and Lisette Alexis. He appeared in both the 2004 original, as well as 2007’s sequel National Treasure: Book of Secrets.
The new show will focus on Jess, played by Alexis, who goes on a journey to discover the truth about her family and her past. Of course, there’s also a hefty amount of treasure involved. Other actors in the show include Lyndon Smith, Zuri Reed, Jordan Rodrigues, Antonio Cipriano and Jake Austin Walker.
Rick Muirragui is writing the show, with Jerry Bruckheimer back as executive producer, along with some other notable names like Cormac and Marianna Wibberley, and Jonathan Littman. Bartha is a fairly well-known actor, but his role in National Treasure is just as beloved as the movies themselves.
He’s also appeared in The Hangover movies, Godfather of Harlem and The Good Fight.
Disney greenlit 10 episodes of the show, and plans to refresh the tone for a younger audience with a diverse cast. The show will explore issues of identity, community, historical authorship and patriotism, among others.
Sadly, the existence of National Treasure as a streaming exclusive looks to have hammered the final nail into the coffin of the long-rumored third big screen outing, with Nicolas Cage and Diane Kruger separately admitting that it’s very unlikely to happen.
Published: Apr 12, 2022 02:40 am