National Treasure: Page 47 (Speculation)

[Qray]

In National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Ben Gates is advised by the President to read Page 47 of the President's "Book of Secrets." A book containing information on things such as the missing minutes of the Watergate tapes, Area 51, etc.

In the film, the information contained on Page 47 is never revealed, though when the President asks him about it, Gates does say that it's "life-altering." Setting up a possible third film.

Someone did pose the question to director Jon Turteltaub at the film’s press day, and he answered with the illuminating “I’ll tell you what is on page 47 is I think the single greatest secret in America today…which is…the plot of Star Trek.”

So what could be contained on Page 47? And what is the next National Treasure?

[Qray]

Ok, so this is what I'm thinking...

Fitting in the catagory of "National" it needs to be something related to the United States and found in the United States. And of course it needs to be a treasure.

Following the formula of the previous two movies, it will need to be something fairly old (at least a couple hundred years) so Area 51 is out.

Two things that immediately came to mind as I was watching the second movie was the Fountain of Youth (which was mentioned as being in the Bimini or Florida area back in the 1500's) or Atlantis.

Both are a stretch, but it's all I've come up with so far. And the "Templar treasure" and the "Olmec City of Gold in the Badlands" of the previous two movies aren't all that historically accurate anyways. I don't think Finding Atlantis would be all that "life altering." Well, it would be, but not i nthe way that finding the Fountain of Youth would be. However, the Fountain of Youth really doesn't fit in with the "treasure" that the first two movies had. Not to mention the "City of Gold" was billed as a secret the world wasn't ready for.

So, I think I've just talked myself out of either the Fountain of Youth or Atlantis. I got nothing.

[Magus]

Roanoke

However, the new movie looked so incredibly stupid that I doubt I'll see it, save it receiving profound recommendations. Still, this was the first idea that came to mind.

[Qray]

Revisiting this topic as I recently re-watched National Treasure 2, Roanoke (the Lost Colony) is currently the online favorite as to what is on Page 47.

IMO, Cage's mention that Page 47 is "life changing," can be taken with a grain of salt. As Cage has stated that he ad libbed the line and as I mentioned before, the "City of Gold" in NT 2 was billed as "a secret the world wasn't ready for." Which doesn't describe Cibola.

Roanoke does fit the bill as being a very old part of American history. There's a mystery involved in what happened the village. Even though the obvious explanation of "they simply moved," can be glossed over by Hollywood. The city would fit in well with the NT franchise, but the question I have in mind is...what is the treasure? Are they going to move the location of the Fountain of Youth to North Carolina? Since Prates of the Caribbean 4 is rumored to feature the Fountain of Youth, it'd also be unlikely for two Disney movies that most likely will be in production at the same time share a similar plot.

[Merle]

I can't see where Roanoke would be all that interesting, unless maybe the colonists discovered a portal and escaped through it.

[Asp Zelazny]

Must admit that I wasn't able to stay awake even through National Treasure I; but still, the concept is intriguing. Might something like Ben Franklin's alchemical formula for the transmutation of lead into gold be the kind of thing that would fit the bill? Never did trust that Franklin ... he seemed to be having too much fun.

[Qray]

Benjamin Franklin is a fascinating historical character. Though he did play a significant role in NH 1 with his Silence Dogood letters and his "early American X-ray specs," so they might not be willing to feature him again in the next movie. Though if you look at his life, there's so much to base a mystery off of and any number of possible ways to "hide clues." From the Library Company of Philadelphia, to one of his inventions, or his newspaper or printing business.

The question would be what national treasure would they be looking for.

I can't see where Roanoke would be all that interesting, unless maybe the colonists discovered a portal and escaped through it.

I hope they don't go all Lost and feature space aliens, or portals, or get all science fictiony with the franchise. IMO, Roanoke wouldn't be the treasure, but rather a mystery in American history that would have to be solved to get to the treasure. I mean, it's not like the Templer's actually brought treasure to America or that Cibola could possibly be so far North that it's in South Dakota. So the writers could tie in some fabulous treasure with Roanoke.

The question is, what incredible treasure is left to be found in America?

[Asp Zelazny]

You don't think that **alchemical formula for the transmutation of lead into gold** would be enough of a treasure and life-changing event? It certainly would change science as we know it, and until gold became as common as lead and therefore devalued, it could change the lives of those who know the trick ??

[Qray]

Would that fit in with the type of previous treasure seen in the NT franchise though? Both the Templar treasure and Cibola, while being a monetary treasure, were also treasures of historical significance.

[Asp Zelazny]

Since as I had said, I didn't stay awake through the movie, I can't say for sure .... but I find it odd that if those were the treasures of note, they certainly aren't American: as opposed to the Masons, the Templars were allegedly a tradition that went back to the time of the Crusades; the 7 Cities of Gold (Cibola) was a fantasy created by an African slave (Estaban) of a Spanish incursion into the the continental Southwest, and was fed by the Pueblos as "Well, not here, but probably just over the next mountain" as a means of getting the pesky conquistadors to keep moving somewhere/anywhere else. Ultimately it was probably Hawikuh (a now ruin previously inhabited by the ancestors of the Zuni), which had tan to yellow adobe walls, seen in the distance at sunrise to glow like gold. But still, neither of those would really qualify as National Treasures, really. At least any more than, say, Joseph Smith's gold plates which were inscribed by the angel Moroni ...

[Qray]

Well, unlike Dan Brown with his Da Vinci Code farce, the creators of National Treasure never claim anything in their fictional story is true. It's meant to be entertainment. So they're able to take true historical events, and mix them with fictional musings to create a story. In the first NT movie, the Templar treasure comes to America much as most things have come to country. Through immigration.

And since the treasure becomes involved in the Revolution and the formation of the nation, it becomes part of American history.

I don't agree with NT 2 moving the location of Cibola from the Southwest to South Dakota and hope whatever the treasure in NT 3 is, it's location makes a little more sense in following with the treasure's legend. However, the legend of Cibola is very much an American legend.

What both treasures have in common, other than being of great monetary wealth, is their historical value. The Templar treasure covering thousands of years of artwork and artifacts. Cibola giving a greater understanding and knowledge of Native Americans.

So both the Templar treasure and Cibola can be considered "national" in that they were located in America and play a part in American history. They both obviously can be considered treasure for their monetary as well as historical value.