National Treasure: Catherine Zeta-Jones to star in a leading role for the Disney+ series

Last Updated on February 8, 2022

Catherine Zeta-Jones has landed a lead role in Disney‘s National Treasure series. The live-action series is an expansion of the National Treasure movie franchise centered on a young heroine, Jess (Lisette Alexis), 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.

Per Disney’s official press release:

Zeta-Jones will portray Billie, 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.

The series also stars Zuri Reed (Flatbush Misdemeanors) as Tasha, Jordan Rodrigues as Ethan (Lady Bird), Antonio Cipriano as Oren (Jagged Little Pill on Broadway), and Jake Austin Walker (Rectify) as Liam – Jess’ friends whom she recruits to help uncover the truth about her parents and their connection to the treasure. Lyndon Smith (Parenthood) stars as FBI Agent Ross who assists in the quest.

Jerry Bruckheimer, Cormac & Marianne Wibberley, Jonathan Littman, and KristieAnne Reed executive produce the series alongside Rick Muirragui, who also serves as a writer. Jon Turteltaub is also an executive producer. Mira Nair is directing and executive producing.

Before being cast in Disney’s National Treasure series, Zeta-Jones starred in the action-adventure film The Mask of Zorro and Entrapment, opposite screen legend Sean Connery. Her other starring roles include Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s 12, Side Effects, and Traffic, for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of the wife of a drug-runner.  She also starred in Steven Spielberg’s The Terminal, opposite Tom Hanks, and the Coen Brothers’ dark comedy Intolerable Cruelty, opposite George Clooney.  Recently she starred in the telefilm Cocaine Godmother, based on the true-life story of the notorious drug lord, Griselda Blanco.

As far as connections to the original franchise go, the National Treasure reboot will find Jess following in the footsteps of Benjamin Gates, the National Treasure films’ protagonist played by Nicolas Cage.

I think it’s cool to see that National Treasure is going in a new direction. After all, Cage is quite busy starring in films like Pig, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, The Retirement Plan, The Old Way, and more. I don’t know that he has any desire to return to the National Treasure franchise in any major capacity, so, they might as well shake things up, right? As long as the National Treasure reboot carries a torch for the original films and goes out of its way to be fun, I think we’re in good shape, especially with Catherine Zeta-Jones on board.