Posted in: Disney+, streaming, TV | Tagged: Justin Bartha, national treasure, national treasure 3, National Treasure: Edge of History, Riley Poole

National Treasure: Bartha on "Edge of History," Film Future & More

With Disney doing a legacy spinoff for their National Treasure franchise in their Disney+ series Edge of History, Justin Bartha had the rare opportunity to help become the bridge from the films to TV series that shifts focus from Nicolas Cage's Benjamin Franklin Gates to Lisette Olivera's Jess Valenzuela. Bartha reprises his role as Riley Poole from the 2004 original film and its 2007 sequel, The Book of Secrets. As the resident tech expert, Riley became invaluable in Gates' quests in both films. When Disney pitched for his return, the actor had his initial reluctance. The following contains spoilers for the series.

Justin Bartha's Path Back to 'National Treasure'

"To be honest, I didn't jump aboard right away," Bartha told Variety. "But after talking with [the producers] and looking at my daughters, it was tough to turn my back." Back to oversee Edge of History to executive produce were original EP Jerry Bruckheimer along with creators Cormac and Marianne Wibberley, and franchise director Jon Turtletaub.

"Not really! But in a storytelling sense, we have been trying to get the third movie off the ground for quite a while. 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," Bartha said when he considered where Riley was after all these years. "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."

"I love this character — he means a lot to me. He really does," Bartha shared when asked what the character means to him. "There hasn't been a week in the last 20 years that's gone by without someone stopping me and talking about 'National Treasure.' And the response has evolved over time. It really is a special thing, and I think any type of extension that touches it, no matter what it is, is great." As far as working with the series lead, "[Lisette]'s wonderful. She's a super-talented actress and game for whatever. Working with her really brought me back because, in the movies, we spent so much time breaking down the script and making sure these seemingly ridiculous situations made sense and were entertaining and compelling. With the Wibberleys, we really locked back into our old ways of trying to get it exactly right, and Lisette seems like a great leader for this new group of young actors. It's odd to say that I was the oldest actor on set that day — because I was the youngest actor on set for the movies."

One of the major reveals that leaves the window open for both Cage and Diane Kruger (who played Dr. Abigail Chase) to return for that third film is that Riley says they're still together. For more, including Riley's podcast arc, how National Treasure grew with Bartha over the years, his initial script reaction to Edge of History, the Page 47 cliffhanger from Book of Secrets, his franchise future, and more, you can check the full interview here.

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