While I could’ve asked him another 100 questions, he needed to get to his next interview room and that little bit of time was all I could get. So while I was definitely wrong about when there would be a trade announcement, I wasn’t wrong that the team behind the “Pirates” trilogy was working on "The Lone Ranger."

With the writers strike going on this project is stuck in neutral, but as I originally wrote back in May, I think this could be a great property for the big screen and Jerry is definitely a great person to make it happen.

Now about the full interview...

Posted below is the entire mini press conference with Mr. Bruckheimer. As usual, you can either read it or download the audio as an MP3 here. And while I did already post the “Prince of Persia” quotes a few weeks back, I figured you’d want to read everything that was said.

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

Question: You probably get asked this question at least a dozen times a year but I'm going to do it again anyway.

Jerry Bruckheimer: Good.

Q: In the IMDB you have at least 10 projects in various stages of production right how, probably another half a dozen in development, there are between 6 and 10 television series that you have in production. How many clones do you have?

Jerry: There's a great team of people. Between the people that work in our office, people with Disney, and television people. People with Warner Bros. All value added. They make me look good all the time.

Q: Entertainment Weekly just named you one of the 50 smartest people in Hollywood and say that you pay attention to and participate in every single one of these productions as well. What kind of toll does that take on you?

Jerry: You know what? I'm not working in a factory. I'm not an accountant. It's a creative business and it's fun to do. Although we have days when we wish we didn't have to replay. We all go through those kinds of days. But in the end you have something that you can be very proud of. Like this movie. You work hard on it. You get to enjoy other people enjoy it. And that's the best part of the whole thing. The end game. It's the end game that when you're done you're going to reach hopefully tens of millions of people and make their day a little bit better.

Q: It seems like only a few years ago you weren't in the sequel business at all and now you have this franchise, Pirates, Bad Boys had a sequel.

Was there something that happened that made you see a way to continue stories?

Jerry: It all depends on the film itself and the characters. You know cops, there's always another crime. Treasure hunters. There's always another treasure they're seeking. Certain pictures are going to lend themselves. Pirates, there's always another adventure. They're always seeking something that's not right. That's fun. We tried to develop something on Top Gun years ago but it just didn't go anywhere. We've been asked a number of times to develop a sequel to The Rock. Again, we couldn't come up with anything that we thought was interesting to do 'cause there were more enclosed stories.

Q: This one. Wasn't it started with the idea, like Pirates, to...

Jerry: Never. Never. It was a one off.

Q: This clearly leaves room for more. Any scripts in the works?

Jerry: No. Nothing.

Q: You haven't figured out what's on that page?

Jerry: The writers might know. But I don't know. And they're not going to tell me now because they're on strike.

Q: What are you most proud of with this film?

Jerry: I think the most fun of this is the ride that it takes you on. It's a movie that kind of builds slowly then starts to take off. I think I'm so proud of the fact that we have this wonderful relationship between Jon Voight and Helen Mirren. I think that's such a nice addition to this movie. It's unexpected. And that's what I like about it.

Q: Is she signed for another sequel?

Jerry: No. Nobody is.

Q: How did you get Helen Mirren? Was this after the Academy Awards?

Jerry: Yes. We sent her the script. Very simple. And she liked the character and we worked with her on the character and we paid her well.

Q: Nic said there is a tightrope act on a Jerry Bruckheimer film involving the script. That you were working on it constantly. You never knew what the dialog might be until the day you show up. Can you talk about how that feeds the project to make things as good as they can be?

Jerry: I don't think they're ever good enough. So we're constantly trying to make it better. And the writers, the majority of time are on the set working with the director to try to come up with something that, you know, you walk on a set and you see something, you'll see a vase or you'll see something that, 'Oh Wow We can just have some fun with this.' So that's what we try to do.

Q: Nic said the tabletop scene where they were trying to balance, you had to go back and reshoot that a couple times.

Jerry: Yes.

Q: Is that you paying to get it right?

Jerry: I don't pay. Somebody else does. We convince them to pay for it. Let's put it that way.

Q: The holidays are coming up. What does someone get Jerry Bruckheimer for Christmas?

Jerry: I don't know. I have no idea.

Q: Are there any gadgets or toys you want?

Jerry: I usually buy them myself.

Q: Any plans for this holiday to make it special?

Jerry: You know, we usually go to Kentucky. We will get there. Although I shouldn't be saying this in such a large group because my mother who claims she's 82 is about to turn 103, which is kind of interesting. So we're going to throw a little party for her.

Q: Many video game fans have been frustrated by Hollywood to deliver the goods and you're going to be making Prince of Persia. What can you tell fans of that series that they can look forward to for that franchise?

Jerry: You know, I think we hired a very interesting director, Mike Newell who did one of the Harry Potters and also Donnie Brasco, and he's a very inventive, ingenious director and I think he's going to bring something really special to it. And we're just starting. We have a screenplay. We're just starting to develop the look of it, so it will be unique and fresh.

Q: At this point are these properties that you envision in the possibility of A, a franchise, and B, is this going to be a really big film, like a National Treasure?

Jerry: Yes. It's a big production, and if they work it's another character you can take on to other adventures.

Q: Do you have any casting on it?

Jerry: Not yet.

Q: Can you do for video games what you did for theme park rides?

Jerry: I don't know. We'll see.

Q: Is that script set in stone now because they can't develop?

Jerry: Well, we're not going to film 'til June so hopefully the writers will come to some kind of consensus with the studios and we can continue.

Q: What's your take on the writers strike?

Jerry: I just think it's unfortunate. It's an unfortunate time to have a strike. It's coming into Christmas. Our crews for our television shows are all shut down, so a lot of these kids aren't going to get the kind of Christmases that they deserve. People are going to lose their homes. Our crew members. It's sad. It's really sad. I hope they can work it out so a lot of this doesn't happen, but the problem you have is that they're doing so much negotiating during the press rather than just sitting in a room and doing it. We're fortunate now 'cause they are talking, which is good. And I think if it breaks off it's going to be very long. A long strike.

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