‘National Treasure’ Series a Go at Disney+

Disney+ has greenlit a series based on the National Treasure movie franchise.

The show, from writers Cormac and Marianne Wibberley — who wrote the screenplays to the two Nicolas Cage movies (along with Jim Kouf on the first film) — and producer Jerry Bruckheimer will follow a new set of characters and reimagine the franchise through the eyes of its lead character, a 20-year-old DREAMer named Jess Morales.

Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, A Suitable Boy) is attached to direct. The series will explore the ideas of identity, community, patriotism and who gets to write history as Jess and a diverse group of friends embark on an adventure to uncover her mysterious family history and recover lost treasure.

The project has been in the works for the better part of a year. Bruckheimer said in a May 2020 interview that he hoped that both the series and a third movie in the franchise would come to fruition: “The one for Disney+ is a much younger cast. It’s the same concept but a young cast. The one for theatrical would be the same cast.”

Disney released the two movies, which were both hits: National Treasure grossed $347 million worldwide in 2004, and 2007 sequel National Treasure: Book of Secrets made $467 million.

Bruckheimer and the Wibberleys will executive produce the series.

National Treasure continues the Disney+ game plan of developing series based on well-known IP. In addition to its Star Wars and Marvel properties, the streaming service has current and forthcoming shows based on High School Musical, Turner & Hooch, The Mighty Ducks, Willow and Doogie Howser, M.D.

Deadline first reported the news.

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