Opening this Friday is “National Treasure: Book of Secrets,” the sequel to the huge hit “National Treasure.” So to help promote the film, I recently attended a press day where I got to interview most of the cast and the filmmakers who made it.

But before getting to the interview…a few words. While I’ve seen a ton of movies these past few weeks, films that are sure to be nominated for Oscars and movies that will be remembered for years… the one film everyone asks me about is “National Treasure.” Seriously. If my friends and family are any barometer for the success of a movie…Disney is about to have a HUGE hit on their hands. Even my dad, who rarely goes to the movies, wants to see this film.

And for those wondering…here are my two cents on the sequel. Did you like the first film? Then you’ll like the sequel, as it’s more of the same. But I do want to emphasize not thinking too hard about the plausibility of what you’re watching, because if you try and think about it… you’ll just ruin the ride and not have any fun. Simply put, ”National Treasure: Book of Secrets” is a great popcorn movie and audiences are going to eat it up. Now about this interview...

Posted below is the press conference with Nicolas Cage.

During the thirty or so minutes with the star of “National Treasure,” the questions ranged from why he chose to make this his first ever sequel to what he hopes might end up happening in the next one. Needless to say, a lot of other stuff got asked. 

And if you don’t know what the story is in the sequel…

In this follow up to “National Treasure,” treasure hunter Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) once again sets out on an exhilarating, action-packed new global quest to unearth hidden history and treasures. When a missing page from the diary of John Wilkes Booth surfaces, Ben’s great-great grandfather is suddenly implicated as a key conspirator in Abraham Lincoln’s death.  Determined to prove his ancestor’s innocence, Ben follows an international chain of clues that takes him on a chase from Paris to London and ultimately back to America.  This journey leads Ben and his crew not only to surprising revelations – but to the trail of the world’s most treasured secrets.   

As usual, you can either read the transcript below or download the audio as an MP3 by clicking here. And if you want to watch some clips from the movie, you can do so here.

“National Treasure: Book of Secrets” opens this Friday at theaters everywhere.

Question: What was the criteria for you to sign onto this project? And, what do you think sets this sequel apart from the original film?

Nicolas Cage: You may be aware that I’ve not done a sequel before, and the reason being that, generally speaking, I never like to repeat myself. In this case, I do believe that, if you’re going to do a sequel, it has to promise to be better than the original, or at least as good. Largely, the fear with sequels is that people get lazy. They realize they have a winner, and then they just throw money at it and they don’t care. Fortunately, working with John Turteltaub, in particular, he really cares about the story. I wanted to make sure that we could go in a direction that would raise the stakes, and also hopefully be more interesting. When they first presented the idea of Civil War, Confederate gold, John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln assassination, right off the bat, for me, personally, that was more interesting, historically. I was excited by that. Then, they said, “We have to rachet it up from stealing the Declaration of Independence, so we thought you should kidnap the President of the United States.” And then, I said, “Woah, hold on, new rules. How is Ben Gates going to kidnap the President of the United States?” And, I got nervous. Then, I started thinking about it, and I started laughing, and I realized that that was the joy of it -- that it was funny and it was absurd. When they cast Bruce Greenwood, I realized that there would be a level of believability ‘cause he looks Kennedy-esque. And, at the same time, he has a terrific gift for comedy, and he would be able to embrace that Commedia dell’arte, if you will. So, to me, ‘Book of Secrets’ is like a movie unto itself. When you change the treasure, you change the whole story, and you get new clues that are historically accurate, and you get new locations. Just the actors and the characters stay the same. So, having been a fan of Basil Rathbone and Sherlock Holmes, I thought, “Why not bring Ben Gates back as a modern version, if you will, and archeological version of a detective, looking for [a way to unlock] the mysteries of these treasures?” It seemed wonderfully positive. If John Turteltaub has a genius, it’s that he’s made movies without a gun that are entertaining, and you can take the whole family. There’s worse things to do than to inspire especially the youngsters to look in their history books, so I thought, “Let’s go. Let’s do it.” So, I did it, and I’m happy I did it.

Q: What has been your experience having young fans, since the first ‘National Treasure’?

Nicolas Cage: Children, to me, are of the utmost importance. They’re really the future, aren’t they? So, I want to treat that carefully. I’m one of those people that believes that the power of film is intense, and you have to really think about it, responsibly. In this case, you want them to enjoy themselves with mom and dad, or the whole family, and also get them to look in their history books in a way that isn’t, “Oh, you must read, and you must learn.” It helps them to enjoy the ride even more because there’s a level of believability to it. You wonder, “Wow, why are there missing pages in the Booth diary?” Then, you go see the movie and you can use a little imagination, and it makes the ride more enjoyable. I’m always thinking about the kids, if I make that sort of movie. Even with ‘Ghost Rider,’ I was thinking about the kids. Walt Disney, for me, is a magnificent hero, of sorts, because he was probably the most influential artist of our time. He was such an influence that we don’t even think of him, sometimes, as a human being, but he did this amazing stuff. He took these great classic stories like ‘Pinnochio,’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’ later, and ‘Snow White’ and made them accessible to children. With ‘Ghost Rider,’ I was trying to do the one story he never did, probably for obvious reasons, which was Faust. I wanted to make that something where kids could go, “Well, yeah, this is really just a myth.” We’re all going to get in trouble, so how do you get past that? So, I was thinking about them there too.

Q: Did you want to do something new with the character, since this is the first time you’ve played the same character a second time?

Nicolas Cage: My first question to Jerry Bruckheimer was, “It’s been three years. I’m not the same guy. How am I going to go back and do Ben Gates?” And, he said, “That’s it. The character has changed.” And, the response I got at Disney was that I seem lighter and I’m smiling more and I’m happier. I think the weight has been taken off of the character. He’s been accepted academically. He’s not considered a wacko anymore, like he was in the first movie. And so, he feels happier.

Q: Are you more prepared now, for doing a sequel for ‘Ghost Rider’?

Nicolas Cage: All they have to do is call, and I would love to see that happen. That would be fun.

Q: So, you’re more prone to sequels now?

Nicolas Cage: If I think there’s room to grow with the character, and if you can make it better than the original, absolutely.

Q: With that being said, would you mind doing a third ‘National Treasure,’ if all of the elements are right?

Nicolas Cage: With ‘National Treasure,’ I believe that it should become more and more ‘International Treasure.’ I was very happy to see that we went to London, England and Paris, France, but I’d like to see the movie go wider still. I’d like to go into Africa, Egypt, Asia, and keep going. My hope is that Ben is recruited and he gets a dossier from these other countries about their history, and has to download it and learn it, and then try to go on these hunts on their behalf. That would be a lot of fun for me.

Q: How are you like Benjamin Gates?

Nicolas Cage: One of the things that comes to mind is ancestors. In a lot of so-called primitive cultures, there is a tremendous respect for our ancestors that we don’t see as much, for whatever the reason, in modern American culture. With Ben, I wanted to make it clear that, probably because his grandfather, Christopher Plummer, knighted him at such an early age, he took it to heart and really believes, in a chivalrous way, that everything he is, is on account of his ancestors. They’re not dead to him. They’re still there with him and he’s honoring them, and I like that about him. I try to embrace that in my own life. And, also, history. Because of playing Ben Gates, I really appreciate history now, and I also enjoy being in places where I feel the weight of past events. I like old architecture and old buildings, and if you use a little imagination, you can time travel.

Q: You mentioned that you’ve changed in the last three years, since the first film. How have you changed? And, in particular, what’s it like to be changing diapers again?

Nicolas Cage: [Laughs] It’s very natural. You don’t really think about it. I think the main changes are that my priorities have improved. I started acting at a very young age, and I had interests which I won’t say are wrong, but I’m maturing. Motorcycles, and things like that, aren’t has important as they once were to me. And, I like a good book, and I like being in nature or on the water, and being with my family. I think those are just the real treasures.

Q: Now that your uncle, Francis Ford Coppola, is making movies again, will you work together?

Nicolas Cage: Last time I worked with Uncle Francis was ‘Peggy Sue Got Married,’ and I was really happy with that.

Q: That was 20 years ago.

Nicolas Cage: Yeah. It’s been a long time. If he called, I would certainly like to work with him. And, I’m happy to see that he’s behind the camera again. I wrote him an email recently, saying “The world needs more of your movies.” So, I’m excited to see what he does.

Q: Any place specific you’d like to take Ben Gates in another film? Do you get input into where the next film will take place?

Nicolas Cage: Personally, my interests are ancient history and ancient civilizations. In my own life, I’d like to go to places like Easter Island. It would be fascinating to see Ben also go to those places as well, and how they could all tie together somehow. The way we left the movie, the President asked Ben, “What’s on page 47?” I wanted to figure out what I could say that would really make people interested in what’s on page 47 without saying it, so I thought of the words “life altering.” Whatever it is, it’s going to have to be life-altering.

Q: In the movie, Ben implies that, because of the office of the presidency, he admires the man. Do you think that is an old-fashioned value that has no place in today’s society?

Nicolas Cage: I think one of the things that comes out in that moment is that Ben is really speaking what we all want to believe. In a way, he’s charging the President in that moment, saying “You took this office, so this is the oath. Are you going to perform or not?” That’s how I saw that.

Q: Were there any conversations, at the time you were filming, to make sure you kept the film from veering into current events?

Nicolas Cage: That scene with the President was always the concern, from day one, even before principal photography. I kept going over it and over it and over it, in my room, up late at night. I would look at it, I would rewrite it, I would tinker with it. I would send the pages back to the Powers That Be at Bruckheimer Films, and then, they would fact check them, or go through it with their writers and come back. We kept tweaking it. So, I realized the importance of that scene, not lapsing into something overtly political or sentimental or maudlin, but try to get to the root and the simplicity of it. It always became clear to me that it was an overture to the President to step up. Whatever there is about politics, and we all know that lying is endemic to politics, we used what is good and what was meant to be and what we want to believe to be the overture.

Q: Can you relate to Ben's connection to his ancestors, as far as your acting career?

Nicolas Cage: Well, I do relate to that. I think so. I feel that it began with Carmine Coppola. We didn't come from money. He came here because he could play the flute and he joined Toscanini no less, Toscanini's orchestra and was the first chair floutist. The most beautiful thing that happened, just as a side track to that, but about two years ago I was sleeping. The TV was on, it was the arts channel, I didn't know and I heard this flute and I woke up. It was my grandfather playing the flute and it was the Dance of the Blessed Spirits. I'm getting chills thinking about it. It was like he was talking to me. It was amazing. He was the beginning of our history in the arts and then he married a Pennino, my grandmother's family who was writing songs and she was a composer. Then from there, it just kept going. Francis and Sofia and Tali and everybody.