Of course, Justin Bartha is all in for National Treasure 3

Alright National Treasure heads, here’s another zealous co-sign for a third film, this time from Justin Bartha. As he’s making his return to the franchise, there seems to be no better time to get National Treasure 3 going.

“Listen, there is still hope for another movie,” Bartha tells Variety. “Nic is obviously doing great, one of the greatest ever. Jerry just had a big hit with Top Gun: Maverick, and he is doing great. And the constant drum beat from the fans for a third movie just makes it a no-brainer for me.”

For the time being, Disney’s National Treasure-related efforts have been channeled toward the spin-off series, National Treasure: Edge Of History. For the series, Bartha made his return as Riley, appearing in one episode. While he says joining NT3 is a “no-brainer,” Bartha was less enthusiastic about boarding Edge Of History.

“To be honest, I didn’t jump aboard right away,” Bartha says. “But after talking with [the producers] and looking at my daughters, it was tough to turn my back.”

Despite Edge Of History, there have been some movements toward the third film, as confirmed by Bruckheimer earlier this year.

“There is a script. That’s all I’ll say,” Bartha says. “There have been a few different scripts, actually, but the one thing that has to happen is for all the stars to align. I had seen something awhile ago, and it was solid, but the unsung hero of these movies that doesn’t get mentioned as much is Jon Turtletaub. Those movies really are an extension of his being. He is very smart and funny, and has a buoyancy to him that mirrors the tone of the movies. I think he has to feel really comfortable and feel like he can see the movie before it happens—and it is getting closer to that.”