Warning: This article contains spoilers for the fourth episode of National Treasure: Edge of History. It has been 15 years since the release of National Treasure: Book of Secrets, and fans of the franchise have been eagerly awaiting a third film.
However, the wait for a new movie may be a bit longer as Disney+ has released a spin-off series called National Treasure: Edge of History, Variety reports. The show follows Jess, played by Lisette Olivera (Total Eclipse), DACA recipient who finds herself in a race against an antiquities dealer, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones (Chicago), for a Meso-American treasure tied to her lineage. While the show exists in the same world as the original films, Nicolas Cage‘s (Ghost Rider) character, Ben Gates, is not slated to appear. Justin Bartha (The Hangover Part II) , who played Ben’s tech-savvy right-hand man, Riley Poole, in the films, does make an appearance in the fourth episode of the series. In the episode, Riley arrives in Baton Rouge for the funeral of Peter Sandusky, played by Harvey Keitel (Taxi Driver, Pulp Fiction) , and helps Jess and company decipher a clue left by Elvis Presley.
Bartha, who was initially hesitant to join the series, ultimately decided to take part due to the show’s strong connection to the original films and to be able to share it with his daughters, which he shared in a statement to Variety. The actor also shared that Ben and Abigail, played by Diane Kruger (Inglorious Bastards), are still together and have a dog named Charlotte, a nod to the sunken ship featured in the first film.
The return of Bartha as Riley Poole in the fourth episode of National Treasure: Edge of History brings hope for a potential third film in the franchise, while also offering fans a chance to reunite with a beloved character and delve deeper into the mysterious Page 47 mystery.