Nicolas Cage adventure franchise to return 20 years after critically panned sequel

Key Points:

• Director Jon Turteltaub confirmed that National Treasure 3 is officially in development, nearly 20 years after the last film, revealing the news publicly for the first time during a podcast recording in Philadelphia.
• Turteltaub stated that a script he approves of has been completed and Disney is on board to produce the movie, with hopes to bring back original cast members including Nicolas Cage.
• The National Treasure franchise began with the 2004 film starring Cage as Benjamin Gates, which, despite mixed critical reception, was a commercial success, grossing $347.5 million worldwide.
• Its 2007 sequel, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, also financially successful with $459.2 million worldwide, continued the treasure-hunting adventures but received even lower critical scores.
• The franchise expanded in 2022 with the Disney+ series National Treasure: Edge of History, introducing new characters while featuring returning cast members, keeping the treasure-hunting storyline alive for fans.