‘National Treasure 3’: Justin Bartha Knows What’s on Page 47, but Will Fans Ever Find Out?
Disney+’s National Treasure: Edge of History hasn’t gotten a Nicolas Cage cameo yet, but episode 4 did treat fans to another familiar face: Justin Bartha, a.k.a. Riley Poole. Benjamin Gates’ partner-in-treasure-protecting lent his expertise to Jess Valenzuela’s (Lisette Olivera) hunt for the Pan-American fortune. Much to the delight of National Treasure fans, Riley also teased Page 47 and National Treasure 3.
In an interview following his cameo, Bartha provided an update on the third National Treasure movie. Here’s what he said.
Justin Bartha’s Riley Poole nods to Page 47 in ‘Edge of History’
In episode 4 of National Treasure: Edge of History, Jess finds herself in a slump as she tries to solve a clue in the treasure hunt. Thankfully, she and her friends bump into famous treasure hunter Riley Poole while attending the funeral of former FBI agent Peter Sadusky (Harvey Keitel). He starts chatting with the group and reveals that he and Ben “have been working on this super important thing for the last three, four, 15 years.” (FYI, that’s how long it’s been since National Treasure 2 was released.)
When asked if it’s another treasure hunt, Riley says, “Let’s just say there’s 47 reasons to be interested.”
National Treasure: Book of Secrets fans will know that this is a reference to Page 47 of the President’s Book. In the second film, Ben kidnaps the president to learn more about a book containing government secrets throughout U.S. history. The president asks Ben to look at Page 47, and Ben says it’s “life-altering.”
“The Page 47 reference was something that I threw in there when we were filming. I just had to,” Bartha told Variety of his National Treasure: Edge of History cameo.
Bartha also revealed that, unlike the rest of the world, he knows what’s on Page 47 — but fans will only find out that secret if National Treasure 3 happens. So, where are we on that?
Justin Bartha says ‘National Treasure 3’ is ‘getting closer’
In his interview, Bartha reassured fans that there is “still hope for another movie.”
“Nic [Cage] is obviously doing great, one of the greatest ever. [Producer] Jerry [Bruckheimer] just had a big hit with Top Gun: Maverick, and he is doing great. And the constant drumbeat from the fans for a third movie just makes it a no-brainer for me,” Bartha added.
Bruckheimer has said in the past that scripts were in the works for National Treasure 3. Bartha corroborated the producer’s statement, revealing that “there have been a few different scripts.”
“The one thing that has to happen is for all the stars to align,” he said. “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 [director] Jon Turtletaub. Those movies really are an extension of his being. … 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.”
Why hasn’t ‘National Treasure 3’ happened yet?
National Treasure 3 has been demanded by fans for years, so what has taken so long? It’s reportedly been in development since 2008. However, according to Turtletaub, the third movie didn’t fit Disney’s vision at the time.
“It’s really that Disney feels they have other films they want to make that they think will make them more money. I think they’re wrong,” Turtletaub told Collider in 2018. “I think they’re right about the movies they’re making. They’re obviously doing a really good job at making great films. I just think this would be one of them, and they don’t quite realize how much the Internet is begging for a third National Treasure.”
The National Treasure movies and National Treasure: Edge of History are now streaming on Disney+. New episodes of Edge of History drop every Wednesday until Feb. 8.
