Justin Bartha Reprising Role in National Treasure Disney+ Series

Justin Bartha Reprising Role in National Treasure Disney+ Series

Disney+ has announced that the fan-favorite character from the National Treasure films will be returning for the upcoming original series coming to the streamer. Riley Poole is set to guest star in the upcoming series with Justin Bartha reprising his role.

Bartha played the character in the original film and the sequel National Treasure: Book of Secrets which were released in 2004 and 2007 respectively. Riley Poole was a computer hacker who was both a partner and best friend of Nicolas Cage‘s Ben Gates. Although set as the comic relief of the films, it does not go unnoticed that Riley’s intelligence and critical thinking were just as impressive as Cage’s Gates as they venture into their quest to uncover history’s lost treasures.

Bartha has also lent his comedic talent to the film franchise The Hangover and has gone on to appear in films and TV series including Sweet Girl, Driven, Godfather of Harlem, The Good Fight, and Holy Rollers. He also has brought his talents to the stage and has been part of the productions Asunción, Permission, Sunshine Boys, and the Tony Award-nominated revival of Lend Me A Tenor in which he performed opposite Tony Shaloub.

Bartha joins Lisette Alexis who will play the lead character Jess. Her character’s official description portrays her as 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.” The cast also includes Catherine Zeta-Jones, Zuri Reed, Jordan Rodrigues, Antonio Cipriano, Jake Austin Walker, and Lyndon Smith. Marianne and Cormac Wibberley scripted the pilot for the series and it will be helmed by Mira Nair. Rick Muirragui will serve as writer on the series. Marianne and Cormac Wibberley, Muirragui, and Nair will serve as executive producers alongside Jon Turteltaub, Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, and KristieAnne Reed.

National Treasure will stream exclusively on Disney+. The series is currently in production but no release date has been announced.

Source: Disney+