'National Treasure' sequel to film at Mt. Rushmore - Rapid City Journal 3/15/07

[ALIASd]

If its good enough for Alfred Hitchcock, its good enough for Jon Turteltaub.

‘National Treasure II’ crew to film here

By Dan Daly
Rapid City Journal staff
March 15, 2007

RAPID CITY -- Actor Nicolas Cage and the film crew for “National Treasure: Book of Secrets,” are expected to film next month at the Black Hills’ own national treasure, Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

The memorial plays a role in the plot, according to people who have talked to location scouts for the new movie, which is a sequel to 2004’s “National Treasure.”

According to online accounts of “National Treasure: Book of Secrets,” Cage returns as treasure hunter Ben Gates. Armed with 18 missing pages of John Wilkes Booth’s diary, Gates tries to uncover the truth behind the 1865 assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.

The producers have not yet received a filming permit from the National Park Service. Mount Rushmore superintendent Gerard Baker said Wednesday that he and Chief Ranger Mike Pflaum are still reviewing shooting plans. He believes there will no problems getting a permit, however.

Plans include location shooting at Mount Rushmore’s Hall of Records, the tall tunnel carved directly behind the monument itself. Baker said he told the producers he wanted only a small film crew to go up there, and he said they were willing to reduce the size of the crew.

“It’s an area of concern from a safety standpoint and a security standpoint. I don’t mind a few (people) up there,” Baker said.

The producers had no plans to film on the face of Mount Rushmore, which is off limits, Baker said.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Jon Turteltaub, who produced and directed National Treasure, have returned for the new film, sometimes called National Treasure II. Actors Diane Kruger, Jon Voight and Harvey Keitel are also reprising their roles from the first movie. It is scheduled for release in December 2007.

Karim Merali, general manager of the Radisson Hotel in Rapid City, confirmed that the National Treasure film crew will be taking over the hotel from April 18 to April 28 while they film the Mount Rushmore segments of the movie.

But don’t look for Nicholas Cage wandering around the Radisson lobby. Merali said he is arranging private housing for Cage and director Turteltaub.

Merali said the director was in Rapid City scouting locations recently and liked the food at the hotel’s Enigma Restaurant. Because of that, the director decided to book the entire crew into the hotel.

Russ Jobman, general manager of the Mount Rushmore’s food and gift concessions, said he, too, has been in contact with film scouts about filming scenes inside the Mount Rushmore gift shop.

Jobman said he was told that Mount Rushmore might figure into the film’s climax or its beginning -- the plot is still being written. Other sites such as Sylvan Lake were also scouted by the crew, he said. Merali said he was told the Rushmore scenes would account for about 7 minutes of the movie.

Back in November, the South Dakota Department of Tourism and State Development’s film office worked with location scouts for National Treasure II.

“North By Northwest,” the 1959 Alfred Hitchcock classic, was filmed at Mount Rushmore.

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/arti...top/news02.txt

[clairebear]

There's also a casting call for extras here in DC sometime in the next couple of weeks, so it's back filming here too. (Not a big surprise, but.)

[pixie chick]

Wow! I didn't know they were doing a sequel! I LOVED "National Treasure!" It's one of the few live-action movies we can watch together as a family that I want to watch!

[NickCharles]

OH God, I hope they don't do a North by Northwest ripoff scene.

[dramaqueen]

OOOOOOO!!!!!!! Finally something cool happens in this godforsaken state! I loved the original and I am more than willing to drive 5 hours if they need extras there, plus I have never been to Mt. Rushmore, sounds like a good excuse to go.

[ALIASd]

And Don't Forget the Lincoln Memorial

Another big movie shoot has come to town, just in time for the cherry blossoms and thunderstorms -- and unlike most recent Hollywood visitors, this team plans to stick around for a while.

"National Treasure: Book of Secrets" -- a sequel to Nicolas Cage's 2004 blockbuster Archives thriller -- set up shop yesterday and will be here until April 16, shooting at classic postcard-Washington vistas including the Mall, the Library of Congress and Georgetown. The plot has something to with missing pages from John Wilkes Booth's diary.

It's unclear which of Cage's co-stars (Diane Kruger, Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel) will also be here, but District officials are thrilled with the length of the shoot -- the longest D.C. stay for a major movie since Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig descended for an epic six weeks in the fall of '05. That flick, "The Invasion" (originally titled "The Visiting"), is due out this summer.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...032602367.html

'National Treasure: Book of Secrets' set photos:
http://justjared.buzznet.com/2007/03...ge-jon-voight/