On the DVD, director Joe Turtletaub says the initial rough cut was around four hours long.
During a press junket, when asked if he believed the treasure existed, Sean Bean replied, "It's probably in Sheffield," (his home town).
The cities that the major action takes place in (Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and New York City) are the three capital cities the United States has had in its history.
Good guys in the movie use Google and bad guys use Yahoo! search engines.
Diane Kruger did most of her own stunt work in the car chase scene
Before the movie got its rating, it was under the Touchstone Pictures banner (which is part of Disney). When the film got its rating (which is PG), it was then put under the Walt Disney Pictures banner, as it is clear that it is a more family-friendly movie.
Although the exteriors of Independence Hall were shot on location, the interiors were done at the Independence Hall replica at Knotts Berry Farm in Buena Park, California during December 2003.
The last name on Security Guard Mike's jacket is Hawk.
The movie suggests that something is written on the back of the Declaration of Independence. It is true that something is written on its back. The writing on the back of the Declaration of Independence reads: "Original Declaration of Independence dated 4th July 1776" and it appears on the bottom of the document, upside down. While no one knows for certain who wrote it, it is known that early in its life, the large parchment document (it measures 293/4 inches by 24½ inches) was rolled up for storage. So, it is likely that the notation was added simply as a label.
Ben, Patrick, and John Gates were all named after founding fathers (Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, and John Adams). Abigail Chase is a combination of Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams, and Samuel Chase, Secretary of the Treasury under Abraham Lincoln.
As the camera pans through the treasure room we can see a statue of a black bird - an homage to Maltese Falcon, The (1941) which was another treasure hidden by a group of knights and sought after by several parties.
The screenwriting team of Terry Rossio and Ted Elliott were hired by producer Jerry Bruckheimer to do an uncredited script polish for the movie.
|
