"I'm going to steal the Declaration of Independence." These eight treasonous words delivered with intense earnestness by Nicolas Cage would launch a pop culture phenomenon in
National Treasure
(2004) and its sequel,
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets
(2007). Years after the films were box office hits, quotes and sentiments from the two-part franchise are frequently referenced in response to both the most joyous and most scathing moments in recent history. But even so, the films have been heavily criticized for purportedly "crazy" storylines, forcing
enthusiasts to defend their fandom against those who think it merely a guilty pleasure.
But what if the majority of
's plot points were inspired by real figures and events, its heists drew upon actual techniques in science and technology, and production choices were made with the hope that viewers would better remember both triumphs and failures of history? In this book, franchise experts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black, hosts of the
National Treasure Hunt
podcast, set the record straight, taking a scene-by-scene approach to prove that
, like protagonist Benjamin Franklin Gates, is not crazy, but rather one step short. Their analyses unearth lesser-known stories from history while considering the ethics of character decisions, assessing comparisons with similar film franchises, interpreting key deleted scenes, and revealing behind-the-scenes secrets from filming. The result is a more complete understanding of the franchise, one that might just turn
skeptics into begrudging admirers. In the end, don't we
all
want to know what's on page forty-seven?
experts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black, hosts of the
podcast, bring their expertise to their first book.