Catherine Zeta-Jones has been cast in a leading role in the Disney+ National Treasure show, seemingly as the villain opposite Lisette Alexis.
Catherine Zeta-Jones has been cast in a leading role in the National Treasure show coming to Disney+. The original action-adventure film, 2004's National Treasure, and its sequel, 2007's National Treasure: Book of Secrets, both starred Nicolas Cage as the historian, cryptographer, and treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates, who solves mysteries varying from an invisible treasure map on the back of the Declaration of Independence to a secret book containing the country's most guarded secrets. Though there have been talks of a National Treasure 3, the movie never materialized, and now Disney is seemingly taking the franchise in a new direction.
The National Treasure show coming to Disney+ will act as an expansion of the film series and center on a new young heroine: Jess Morales (Lisette Alexis), a brilliant and resourceful DREAMer who embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure to discover the truth about her parents' mysterious pasts and uncover a lost Pan-American treasure. The cast for the National Treasure series also includes Zuri Reed as Tasha, Jordan Rodrigues as Ethan, Antonio Cipriano as Oren, and Jake Austin Walker as Liam. They make up Jess' friend group who assist her on her quest, as does FBI Agent Ross (Lyndon Smith).
Now, Disney announces that Catherine Zeta-Jones has been cast in a leading role in National Treasure. She will portray a character named Billie, who is described as a "badass billionaire, black-market antiquities expert, and treasure hunter who lives by her own code." After being born into poverty, she transformed herself into a shrewd businesswoman, and now her sights are set on the Pan-American treasure.
Since the series has opted for relatively unknown actors thus far, Zeta-Jones is a huge addition to the cast. The acclaimed actor is known for her various film roles in The Mask of Zorro, Intolerable Cruelty, The Terminal, Ocean's 12, Side Effects, and Chicago, which won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Despite this big-screen pedigree, Zeta-Jones has recently been opting for television roles in shows such as Queen America, Prodigal Son, and Wednesday. The National Treasure series will now continue that trend for her.
Based on her character's description, it sounds like Zeta-Jones will be playing an antagonist who simultaneously searches for the treasure, as Sean Bean's character, Ian Howe, did opposite Cage in the 2004 film. Given Billie's wealth, she doesn't seem to want the treasure simply for its numerical value, and likely has some other nefarious plans for it. More details should emerge about Zeta-Jones' character and the mysterious treasure she is after as production of National Treasure begins this month in Baton Rouge.
Source: Disney
