Jon Turtletaub looks back at the emotional route of a treasure hunt
The patriotism-tinted Hollywood thriller National Treasure (2004), in which Nicolas Cage discovers a vast cellar full of hidden treasure, right in the heart of America — and then gives it all away to the country — became a global hit. Such popularity means that the film and its 2007 sequel continue to be telecast on a regular basis. In a telephone chat with us from Los Angeles, United States, director Jon Turtletaub reveals an interesting fact: the production house never expected the first film to do well outside American territory.
“I wasn’t surprised to see it do so well, even outside of the US. Disney, however, were really very surprised. They didn’t expect it to do so well,” says the filmmaker. “But I knew, it was a good story, and people would be able to relate to it on an emotional level.”
The plot shows Cage trying to fulfil his lifelong ambition of finding the hidden treasure with the help of two others — played by Diane Kruger and Justin Bartha — and by looking for clues in one of America’s most precious documents: the Declaration of Independence.
“The reason why these films did well was the storyline, and frankly nothing else. Yes, it showcased parts of American history, but people could relate to Cage’s character, who is an individual trying to explore his past. That’s what people related to, and I think that’s where, one as a filmmaker, makes a good international
HOLLYWOOD MAKES FILMS FOR A GLOBAL AUDIENCE NOW, SAYS THE MEG DIRECTOR JON TURTLETAUB
film,” says Turtletaub.
The 54-year-old is all set for the release of his upcoming film, The Meg, a science-fiction horror story. Films in this genre, he argues, are often “badly” made. “People forget that there’s an element of stupid silliness attached with such movies; that’s where we fall in love with them. This movie acknowledges that stupid silliness, and tries to be funny in those parts. That’s why, I think it’ll appeal to a global audience,” he says, adding that the film took time to develop as it was being made for viewers across the world.
“We make movies for an international audience now,” he says, “and so it takes time to reach a common thread that you expect everyone to relate to and enjoy. Of course, you can’t change everything, because the audience is so diverse. I mean, something can’t be funny in Russia, or offensive in some other country, and then people over there won’t appreciate the movie. Having said that, it can be very difficult for filmmakers to do anything about it, because you cannot please everyone, and so there has to be a point where you draw the line and decide the storyline.”