At long last, the National Treasure TV series has been given a 10-episode order at Disney Plus.
The project, which hails from producer Jerry Bruckheimer and original writers Marianne and Cormac Wibberley, reimagines the franchise with a Latina lead. Written by the Wibberleys, the series explores the timely issues of identity, community, historical authorship, and patriotism told from the point of view of Jess Morales, a twenty-year-old DREAMer who, with her diverse group of friends, sets off on the adventure of a lifetime to uncover her mysterious family history and recover lost treasure. Mira Nair, who's helmed such films as Vanity Fair, The Namesake, and Amelia, will direct.
Top writers are expected to join the Wibberleys as members of the writing staff. The duo has worked on the TV series LA's Finest as well as a multitude of major motion pictures like The Sixth Day, Charlies Angels: Full Throttle, Bad Boys II, and, of course, both films in the National Treasure franchise.
The National Treasure TV series is being developed by Disney Branded Television, with Gary Marsh leading the charge. Whether or not it will share anything in common with the National Treasure film franchise remains to be seen, but I sure wouldn't mind a cameo from Nicolas Cage's Ben Gates.
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Arriving in 2004, National Treasure starred Nicolas Cage as Ben Gates, a historian who races to find the legendary Templar Treasure before a team of mercenaries gets to it first. A sequel titled National Treasure: Book of Secrets was released in 2007, which found Cage's character following follow a clue left in John Wilkes Booth's diary to prove his ancestor's innocence in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
An all-out adventure that delves into some of history's most elusive mysteries? I'm down for that, and Disney+ is the perfect venue for such a thing. Plus, changing up the perspective will give the concept a fresh coat of paint as well as perspective. Let's go!