A weekend-long celebration will honor the iconic “National Treasure” movie franchise and its ties to Philadelphia with free outdoor screenings and special events. The “National Treasure Weekend” will feature interactive puzzles, a live podcast recording, walking tours and outdoor screenin gs of the iconic “National Treasure” film franchise on Independence Mall. The screenings will be held outside Independence Visitor Center on 6th and Market. They are free to the public, as part of the Movies on the Mall series. Free popcorn will also be available from Liberty Garden. It will be hosted in collaboration between The Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation and the Independence Historical Trust, in partnership with National Treasure Hunt LLC. “National Treasure” Director Jon Turteltaub returned to Philadelphia this weekend for the first time since the filming. Turteltaub told NBC 10 on Friday, the longevity of the franchise’s popularity since the 2004 release is a “miracle.” “It’s awesome. There’s no humble, ‘Well…it’s great, but no…’ it’s the greatest thing you can imagine. When you make a movie, they all come out bad. So when it doesn’t, it’s a miracle for it to last this long,” he said. “It’s unheard of. You get a lot of satisfaction from people thinking you did good. I did something good, I did something people like, and I did something that, not just I, but the fans are proud of, that America is kind of proud of this world.” Turteltaub added, making the trip to Philadelphia this year is special. “I was alive for the bicentennial. It was a big deal,” he said. “To have America250 and to be part of America250, not just to watch it, it’s fantastic.” Here’s a look at this weekend’s schedule: Live “National Treasure Hunt” Podcast Recording with National Treasure Director Jon Turteltaub• 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21• Liberty View at Independence Visitor Center (599 Market Street, second floor)• Space limited Movies on the Mall Screening – “National Treasure” (2004)• 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21• Independence Mall – Outside Independence Visitor Center (6th Market Streets) Movies on the Mall Screening – “National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets” (2007)• 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22• Independence Mall – Outside Independence Visitor Center (6th Market Streets) Read more information on “National Treasure” weekend here. ...read more read less