National Treasure Hunt

In their first-ever Fourth of July holiday special, co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black review the Hallmark Channel original movie, "To Philly with Love" (2026). Does this treasure hunt-inspired romance film capture the magic of historic Philadelphia in the same way that National Treasure does? • Order our new book, "Riley Poole's Book of Secrets: History for National Treasure Hunters," from Tuc...

Jordan Rodrigues ("Ethan Chao") joins co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black to share memories of his time filming National Treasure: Edge of History for Disney Plus. Learn how Lisette Olivera ("Jess Valenzuela") helped him prepare for the role, how the musically talented cast entertained themselves on set, and what future seasons of the show might have meant for the Jess-Liam-Ethan love triangle....

On the Season 12 finale of National Treasure Hunt, co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black are joined by Mike McKee, executive director of the Masonic Temple in Philadelphia, and Stephen Pierce, founder of America's Rising Son, to assess National Treasure's portrayal of Freemasonry. Do these brothers believe Ben Gates is a member of their fraternal organization? Is Agent Sadusky a good representatio...

Co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black review both popular and niche conspiracy theories that Riley Poole may have written about in his book "The Templar Treasure and Other Myths That Are True." In the process, they consider why topics ranging from cryptids to covert government activities are universally appealing and how these legends have had a community-building effect throughout history. • Tick...

In this "National Treasure in Real Life" episode, co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black review The Curse of Oak Island (Seasons 3 and 4) on the History Channel. Are the Lagina brothers and their team inching toward an understanding of what could be concealed on the Nova Scotia island? Will that understanding bring them closer to or push them further from National Treasure's Knights Templar lore? •...

National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets is filled with car chases, kidnappings, and fist fights, so how did the majority of the characters make it through their treasure hunt unscathed? Co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black diagnose hero and villain injuries in the National Treasure sequel, ultimately concluding whether or not the characters could realistically participate in the rest of the movie. T...

Jake Austin Walker ("Liam Sadusky") joins co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black to reflect on his experience portraying Agent Sadusky's grandson in National Treasure: Edge of History. Learn about the role of music in the Disney+ show, how Liam and Myles nearly raided Billie's compound, and how a prop disaster threatened filming of the Graceland heist. Plus, how would Jess's relationships with Liam...

National Treasure: Edge of History ended after a ten-episode run, so what happened to Jess Valenzuela, Tasha Rivers, and their crew after they found the Pan-American treasure? Co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black break down the characters' social media posts featured in the show's finale credits. Who achieved their career goals, who is stuck in the past, and which couples are still together? • It...

In this "National Treasure in Real Life" episode, co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black review The Curse of Oak Island (Seasons 1 and 2) on the History Channel. Does the show's proposed Templar connection to Oak Island in Nova Scotia make this docuseries mandatory viewing for National Treasure fans? Were National Treasure's screenwriters influenced by the "money pit" when imagining the pit beneath...

Attachment styles are all the rage when it comes to assessing how people engage in their relationships, so what happens if you apply attachment theory to popular film characters? Co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black analyze the psychologies of the heroes and villains featured in the National Treasure movies and discover trends that add depth to the characters' interpersonal dynamics. Could Ben's...

Michael Singer, a longtime unit publicist for Jerry Bruckheimer, joins co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black to share memories of working on the National Treasure: Book of Secrets set. Which scene was interrupted by a U.S. president addressing the media, at which national landmark was production given exactly 13 minutes to film, and which Hollywood heavyweight was particularly impressed by Nationa...

National Treasure: Edge of History sets the scene of a major hero-villain showdown at the USS Kidd in Baton Rouge, a creative decision that served as a subtle yet intentional nod to the USS Intrepid's role in the first National Treasure film. Co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black tell the war-filled, pirate-adjacent tale of the USS Kidd and how it came to be a Louisiana memorial and tourist attrac...

Welcome to National Treasure News! In this installment, Aubrey Paris sits down with her co-host Emily Black to discuss the inspiration behind her new edutainment history book, "Riley Poole's Book of Secrets: History for National Treasure Hunters." While Riley's fictional National Treasure 2-featured text "The Templar Treasure and Other Myths That Are True" does not exist in real life, Aubrey aims...

Co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black create the ultimate National Treasure playlist inspired by the personalities, motivations, and backstories of the films' key characters. Can you guess the Taylor Swift song they assign to Abigail Chase, or the Lady Gaga hit that best represents Ben Gates? • Listen to the full playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1sfXT0q4iCJzMXGYNLR4QH?si=0EhU7ApkRe...

Lisette Olivera, better known by National Treasure fans as "Jess Valenzuela," joins co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black to reflect on her time in the lead role of National Treasure: Edge of History for Disney Plus. Lisette shares memorable moments from filming, which range from haunted locations to bug encounters, as well as hot takes about the villains of the National Treasure franchise. Plus,...

By popular demand, co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black discuss similarities and differences between Nicolas Cage's National Treasure (2004) and Ben Stiller's Night at the Museum (2006). Could National Treasure's popularity have influenced its successor's greenlighting? • National Treasure Hunt is now available as a video podcast! To watch video versions of this and future episodes, subscribe at...

Co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black conduct a close watch of the two National Treasure scenes featuring Dr. Abigail Chase's office at the U.S. National Archives, ultimately predicting what her personal items might reveal about her backstory. (Tune in to hear the real-time creation of new National Treasure lore about one of the franchise's most mysterious characters!) • National Treasure Hunt is...

Welcome to Season 12 of National Treasure Hunt! Did you know that Disney once commissioned educational short films to include on their DVDs? Co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black break down the ten special features created for the National Treasure DVD, explaining what each video teaches us about the franchise as a whole. • Watch the full suite of National Treasure special features here: https://w...

Allow us to reintroduce ourselves! Welcome to National Treasure Hunt, the award-winning podcast, books, biannual tour, and community event series examining the National Treasure film and television franchise through an interdisciplinary lens. Co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black bring fans edutaining conversations about history, science, ethics, and more while sharing exclusive interviews with Na...

In their second annual holiday special, co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black review the Lifetime original movie, "A Christmas to Treasure" (2022). Does this chosen family-centric, glorified scavenger hunt flick exhibit any similarities to National Treasure? • National Treasure Hunt is now available as a video podcast! To watch video versions of this and future episodes, subscribe at www.youtube.c...

Actor Mark Pellegrino ("Agent Johnson") returns to National Treasure Hunt to review National Treasure: Book of Secrets with co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black. Why wasn't Agent Johnson in the sequel, what questions does Mark have about the movie, and what does he hope to see maintained or adjusted in National Treasure 3? • National Treasure Hunt is now available as a video podcast! To watch vid...

On the Season 11 finale of National Treasure Hunt, co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black are joined by Olivia Cacchione of Old Pine Conservancy to reveal how National Treasure filmed Nicolas Cage's foot chase through the historic graveyard at Old Pine Street Church. Plus, learn the real-life story of Phil McCracken, a man interred in the graveyard who accidentally inspired the name of a National T...

Co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black are joined by actor, author, and adventurer Wells "Tad" Jones to explore how historically inspired, fictional treasure hunts in film, television, and literature can enhance cross-cultural understanding and bolster feelings of community. • Find Wells Jones' novel, "A Line in the Sand," on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Line-Sand-Novel-Miles-Spencer/dp/1917185...

Co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black share the architectural and cultural history of Boston's Old North Church and determine which elements of Patrick Gates's "fake clue" at the end of National Treasure are based in reality. • Located in or near Central New Jersey? Join the Historical Society of Princeton (Princeton, NJ) for an afternoon installment of National Treasure Hunt's HEIST NIGHT on Satu...

In this "National Treasure in Real Life" episode, co-hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black review Lost Gold of the Aztecs on the History Channel. Which of the show's three treasure hunting teams parallels the Gates family, which is reminiscent of National Treasure's villains, and whose approach to finding Montezuma's gold seems most promising? • Located in or near Central New Jersey? Join the Histori...