Jon Turteltaub: I’d Live in the Black Hills

It’s no secret that National Treasure: Book of Secrets was partially filmed in the Black Hills, thanks in part to the chiefs over at the South Dakota Department of Tourism. They’ve been doing an admirable job of making sure people know it, although having Mount Rushmore and Sylvan Lake plastered across movie posters and TV commercials from Oxnard to Orr’s Island certainly helps them out a bit.

As part of that effort, they’ve created a special section on their website devoted to the National Treasure sequel. It’s pretty simple - after all, you can get stuffed to your ears in National Treasure II stuff on Disney’s site - but there are a few goodies worth checking out. The Movie Images page has the big Nicolas Cage-montage poster with all the monuments on it, as well as a still photo I’ve never seen before of Jon Voight, Helen Mirren and Jon Turteltaub giggling in front of Mount Rushmore.

Speaking of Turteltaub, there’s also a Quotes page with flattering words from him and producer Jerry Bruckheimer about South Dakota. They’re both very positive - although Bruckheimer’s thoughts sound pretty canned. Turteltaub, on the other hand, seems genuine. He talks about the natural beauty and history that makes Mount Rushmore and Rapid City so attractive, and then he closes with this: “Forget coming back to make movies. I’d come back to live here.”

He wouldn’t be the first from the entertainment industry to fall in love with the Black Hills and snap up a home here. Kevin Costner, whose parents live in Spearfish, owns property near Deadwood, as does Big Kenny Alphin from the country music duo Big & Rich. This, among other factors, have led a few Black Hills locals to compare the area with Jackson, Wyo. and Aspen, Colo. before they were “discovered” by the outside world. It doesn’t seem to be a far-fetched conclusion, does it?