Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones has recently joined the cast of Disney Plus' upcoming new series, National Treasure. Zeta-Jones is an Academy Award-winner and Golden Globe nominee for her role in Chicago.
Zeta-Jones will be accompanied by other previously announced cast members such as Lisette Alexis, Zuri Reed, Jordan Rodrigues, Antonio Cipriano, Jake Austin Walker, and Lyndon Smith. Production for the National Treasure series begins this month in Baton Rouge, LA. Zeta-Jones has landed a leading role in the show, which is based off of the classic Nicolas Cage starring National Treasure movies. Now, the new spin-off series is set to pivot and follow the woman’s narrative instead.
Zeta-Jones is cast as the character of Billie, who has a rebellious spirit, who is a fighter at large. Billie has been described as “a badass billionaire, black-market antiquities expert, and treasure hunter who lives by her own code. She transformed herself from a penniless orphan to a shrewd, stylish businesswoman and adventurer. Billie’s used to getting what she wants - and she wants the Pan-American treasure, but not just for the money. This treasure has deeper stakes for her.” From that description alone, it sounds as though Zeta-Jones may be portraying somewhat of a villain, or at the very least an antagonist.
The main character’s name is Jess, who will be played by Alexis. The synopsis for National Treasure reads, “The series focuses on a young heroine, Jess, a brilliant and resourceful Dreamer who embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to uncover the truth about her family’s mysterious past and save a lost Pan-American treasure.” It was confirmed back in May 2020 that the show was under development, but it seems like now that the main roles have been cast, the series is more motivated and ready than ever.
Zeta-Jones is most known for her famous films such as Traffic, Ocean 12, The Terminal, Entrapment, and The Mask of Zorro. She is also set to star in Netflix’s highly anticipated upcoming Addams Family series, taking on the role of Morticia.
Fans will be curious and excited to see her sink her teeth into a darker, more complex character with so many conceptual layers to pull back and explore further as the show unfolds. Rick Muirragui is the writer and executive producer of the series. Jon Turteltaub is also an executive producer for the show, along with having produced the first two National Treasure films. Cormac and Marianna Wibberley worked on both the screenplay for the upcoming National Treasure series and the original two films. It’s nice to see familiar faces and to know that the masterminds behind the National Treasure franchise are here for this new journey.
National Treasure will be available exclusively on Disney Plus.
Source: Disney
