Catherine Zeta-Jones is about to go on another heist. The Prodigal Son star has signed on for the Disney+ National Treasure series. Zeta-Jones will have more than just a guest role in the series, as she took a central part in the project. It is inspired by the hit Nicolas Cage movie franchise.
Zeta-Jones was cast as Billie, a “badass” billionaire and black-market antique dealer, Disney said. Billie is also a treasure hunter who lives by her own set of rules. She was a penniless orphan but used her shrewd business skills to become rich. However, the central chase in the series is about far more than money for her.
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National Treasure will star Lisette Alexis as Jess, a brilliant young woman who loves solving mysteries and has a natural talent when it comes to puzzles. As the central adventure continues, she learns more about her family’s mysterious past. Her goal is to save a lost Pan-American treasure, which Billie also has her sights on.
Other members of the cast include Zuri Reed, Jordan Rodrigues, Antonio Cipriano, and Jake Austin Walker as Jess’ best friends. Lyndon Smith stars as an FBI agent who helps them. Mira Nair (Queen of Katwe) is directing and an executive producer, alongside Jerry Bruckheimer, Cormac & Marianne Wibberley, Jonathan Littman, KristieAnne Reed, and writer Rick Muiragi.
The National Treasure movie franchise started with the 2004 film, in which Cage played treasure hunter Benjamin Gates. In the first movie, he tried to steal the Declaration of Independence to follow a map printed on the back by the Freemasons. A sequel, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, followed in 2007. Although both movies were huge hits, plans for a third movie never materialized.
Disney likely gave up on the idea of Cage fronting a National Treasure 3 because he has been focused on making indie movies lately. In a July interview with Variety, Cage made it clear he no longer wants to make big-budget movies.
“I do feel that I’ve gone into my own wilderness and that I’ve left the small town that is Hollywood,” Cage said at the time. “I don’t know exactly why Rob left his stardom. It’s never fully explained, and I like that about the movie. But as for me, I don’t know if I’d want to go back. I don’t know if I’d want to go and make another Disney movie. It would be terrifying. It’s a whole different climate. There’s a lot of fear there.”
Zeta-Jones is best known for her Oscar-winning performance in Chicago (2002). She also starred in the 1999 heist movie Entrapment. Recently, Zeta-Jones has transitioned to television, starring in Fox’s Prodigal Son, FX’s Feud: Bette and Joan, and Facebook Watch’s Queen America. She stars as Morticia Addams in Tim Burton’s upcoming Addams family series Wednesday for Netflix.ย
