‘National Treasure 3’ update reveals huge news on Nicolas Cage’s return
After nearly two decades of waiting, ‘National Treasure’ fans may finally have a reason to get excited. Director Jon Turteltaub has confirmed that a third movie in the historical adventure franchise is moving forward, with Nicolas Cage expected to return. Turteltaub announced this during a live taping of the ‘National Treasure Hunt’ podcast in Philadelphia. According to the director, this was the first time he had publicly shared the news, telling hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black that ‘National Treasure 3’ was finally becoming a reality. “It’s happening,” he confirmed; he also acknowledged Hollywood’s unpredictable nature.
Turteltaub joked that plans could still change, but his comments mark one of the most significant updates on the long-awaited sequel in years. More importantly, the project appears to have moved beyond the idea stage. Turteltaub revealed that there is now a script that both he and Disney like. He also suggested that the creative team hopes to bring back as much of the original cast as possible, including Cage as treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates. The original ‘National Treasure’ arrived in 2004 and turned Cage’s role as a historian and cryptographer into one of his most memorable adventure parts. The film followed Gates as he searched for a legendary treasure while trying to prove that a hidden clue could be found on the back of the Declaration of Independence. The franchise continued with 2007’s ‘National Treasure: Book of Secrets’, but plans for a third theatrical installment spent years in development without making significant progress.
While the Disney+ series ‘National Treasure: Edge of History’ expanded the franchise in 2022, it followed a new group of treasure hunters rather than bringing Cage’s character back to the story’s center. Turteltaub also explained why making another ‘National Treasure’ movie has become more complicated over the years. He suggested that the increasingly divided political climate has made it harder to create a story built around American history without audiences interpreting elements through a political lens. Rather than ignoring that reality, the director indicated that the new film may find a way to acknowledge it without turning the adventure into a political statement. No plot details, production timeline, or filming locations have been revealed yet. But with a script in place and Turteltaub publicly confirming that the project is moving forward, ‘National Treasure 3’ finally appears closer than ever to bringing Benjamin Gates back for another hunt.
