A very patriotic heist. The premise of National Treasure — stealing the Declaration of Independence — has become a meme since the film’s 2004 release, but the movie is still beloved for its blend of action and adventure.
Directed by Jon Turteltaub, National Treasure follows treasure hunter and cryptographer Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage), who uncovers a plot to steal the Declaration of Independence. No one at the FBI believes him when he tries to warn the agency of the impending theft, so Benjamin takes it upon himself to protect the historical document by stealing it first.
The movie wasn’t a critical success upon its release — the late Roger Ebert compared its plot to Monty Python script — but it was a hit with audiences. While the filmmakers didn’t initially plan to make a sequel, the film’s box-office numbers encouraged the production of National Treasure: Book of Secrets, which hit theaters in December 2007.
Cage reprised his role as Ben alongside original cast members Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Jon Voight and Harvey Keitel as well as franchise newcomers Helen Mirren and Ed Harris. The Face/Off star hadn’t previously done a sequel to any of his movies, but he signed on to Book of Secrets because he felt it would meet his standard of being “at least as good” as the original.
“I wanted to make sure that we could go in a direction that would raise the stakes, and also hopefully be more interesting,” the Oscar winner said of the sequel during a 2007 press conference. “They said, ‘We have to ratchet it up from stealing the Declaration of Independence, so we thought you should kidnap the president of the United States.’ … I got nervous. Then, I started thinking about it, and I started laughing, and I realized that that was the joy of it — that it was funny and it was absurd.”
Fifteen years after the first film’s premiere, a spinoff series titled National Treasure: Edge of History debuted on Disney+. The show features a completely new set of characters led by Jess Valenzuela (Lisette Olivera), a history buff who dreams of cracking codes for the FBI.
“They’ve really taken all those great elements that we loved and that we treasured, and taken them and brought it into the now,” Catherine Zeta-Jones, who plays baddie Jess, told Screen Rant of the show in December 2022. “It’s really incorporating all of the good stuff, and it’s a real family occasion. My niece who’s 8 years old would watch this with my mother, with me and my kids in between. It’s a real roller-coaster. A real fun family show.”
Keep scrolling to see where the cast of National Treasure is now:
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‘National Treasure’ Cast: Where Are They Now? Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger and More
A very patriotic heist. The premise of National Treasure — stealing the Declaration of Independence — has become a meme since the film’s 2004 release, but the movie is still beloved for its blend of action and adventure.
Directed by Jon Turteltaub, National Treasure follows treasure hunter and cryptographer Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage), who uncovers a plot to steal the Declaration of Independence. No one at the FBI believes him when he tries to warn the agency of the impending theft, so Benjamin takes it upon himself to protect the historical document by stealing it first.
The movie wasn’t a critical success upon its release — the late Roger Ebert compared its plot to Monty Python script — but it was a hit with audiences. While the filmmakers didn’t initially plan to make a sequel, the film’s box-office numbers encouraged the production of National Treasure: Book of Secrets, which hit theaters in December 2007.
Cage reprised his role as Ben alongside original cast members Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Jon Voight and Harvey Keitel as well as franchise newcomers Helen Mirren and Ed Harris. The Face/Off star hadn’t previously done a sequel to any of his movies, but he signed on to Book of Secrets because he felt it would meet his standard of being “at least as good” as the original.
“I wanted to make sure that we could go in a direction that would raise the stakes, and also hopefully be more interesting,” the Oscar winner said of the sequel during a 2007 press conference. “They said, ‘We have to ratchet it up from stealing the Declaration of Independence, so we thought you should kidnap the president of the United States.’ … I got nervous. Then, I started thinking about it, and I started laughing, and I realized that that was the joy of it — that it was funny and it was absurd.”
Fifteen years after the first film’s premiere, a spinoff series titled National Treasure: Edge of History debuted on Disney+. The show features a completely new set of characters led by Jess Valenzuela (Lisette Olivera), a history buff who dreams of cracking codes for the FBI.
“They’ve really taken all those great elements that we loved and that we treasured, and taken them and brought it into the now,” Catherine Zeta-Jones, who plays baddie Jess, told Screen Rant of the show in December 2022. “It’s really incorporating all of the good stuff, and it’s a real family occasion. My niece who’s 8 years old would watch this with my mother, with me and my kids in between. It’s a real roller-coaster. A real fun family show.”
Keep scrolling to see where the cast of National Treasure is now:
Credit: Shutterstock (2)
Nicolas Cage
The California native never slowed down after National Treasure, racking up credits in films including The Wicker Man, Kick-Ass, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Pig and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. In 2021, he hosted the Netflix documentary History of Swear Words.
The Rock actor has been married five times. He shares son Weston with ex-girlfriend Christina Fulton and son Kal-El with third wife Alice Kim, whom he divorced in 2016. Cage wed Riko Shabata in February 2021. The couple welcomed daughter August in September 2022.
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Diane Kruger
After playing archivist Dr. Abigail Chase, Kruger went on to appear in Out of the Blue, In the Fade, The Host and The 355. In 2010, she was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance in Inglourious Basterds.
From 2006 to 2016, Kruger dated Joshua Jackson. She later moved on with Norman Reedus. The couple welcomed a daughter in November 2018.
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Sean Bean
The Lord of the Rings actor appeared as crime boss Ian Howe, who initially came up with the idea to steal the Declaration of Independence. He later starred in films including Flightplan, North Country, Mirror Mirror and Jupiter Ascending. In 2011, he played Ned Stark in the first season of Game of Thrones. His other TV credits include Legends, The Oath and Snowpiercer.
Like Cage, Bean has been married five times. He shares daughters Lorna and Molly with second wife Melanie Hill, whom he divorced in 1997. The U.K. native and third wife Abigail Cruttenden welcomed daughter Evie in 1998. Bean has been married to fifth wife Ashley Moore since 2017.
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Justin Bartha
Bartha, who played computer expert Riley Poole, went on to star in the Hangover franchise as well as Driven, Sorry for Your Loss, The Good Fight and Godfather of Harlem. He is set to reprise his role as Riley in Edge of History.
The Holy Rollers actor dated Ashley Olsen from 2007 to 2011. Bartha married Lia Smith, with whom he shares two daughters, in 2014.
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Christopher Plummer
The Sound of Music star, who played Ben’s grandfather John Adams Gates, later starred in Syriana, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, All the Money in the World and Knives Out. In 2012, the veteran actor won his first Oscar for his performance in Beginners.
Plummer shared daughter Amanda Plummer — who is also an actor — with first wife Tammy Grimes, whom he divorced in 1960. The Canada native died at age 91 in February 2021.
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Harvey Keitel
The Pulp Fiction actor played FBI agent Peter Sadusky. The prolific star later appeared in Be Cool, Little Fockers, Moonrise Kingdom, Inglourious Basterds, Isle of Dogs and The Irishman. He is set to reprise his National Treasure role in Edge of History.
Keitel shares daughter Stella with ex Lorraine Bracco, whom he dated from 1982 to 1993. He also shares son Hudson with Lisa Karmazin. In 2001, he married Daphna Kastner. The couple welcomed son Roman in 2004.
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Jon Voight
Voight appeared as Ben’s father, Patrick Henry Gates. The Pearl Harbor actor later starred in Four Christmases, Transformers, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Tropic Thunder. From 2013 to 2020, he played Mickey Donovan on the Showtime series Ray Donovan.
The Oscar winner shares daughter Angelina Jolie and son James Haven with the late Marcheline Bertrand, whom he divorced in 1980.
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