It looks like Nicolas Cage’s bond with his fan-favorite character, Benjamin Gates, isn’t over yet. Nicolas Cage portrayed Benjamin Gates, a treasure hunter, in National Treasure and its sequel National Treasure: Book of Secrets. The two films followed his character and associates searching for long preserved treasures consisting of valuable artifacts and historical importance to the United States. However, Ben Gates’ quest to unravel other such mysterious hidden artifacts was cut short after the second film.
Fans have never refrained from asking Cage and film producers about the franchise’s future in all these years, and none have been able to provide a valid answer. In the past couple of years, the franchise has gone in a different direction, but per Jerry Bruckheimer, the old days are not yet
over.
During an AMA on Reddit via Top Gun, Bruckheimer, who produced both the films, answered a fan query about his thoughts on working with Nicolas Cage again. He replied,
Absolutely. I love Nicolas, he’s a brilliant actor, and we are currently working on a script for National Treasure.
Though this update from him doesn’t lay out any active plans or a layout for the film’s production, Cage’s fans, and that of National Treasure, this is terrific news. Directed by Jon Turtletaub, the two films were commercial successes and, despite mixed reviews, were well received by the fans. Though the second film ended with a subtle hint for the threequel, the third film never got produced, and the franchise was instead continued via a prequel book series. 4
Now that Bruckheimer has iterated that the work for developing a potential script is underway, hopes to see Gates and his team-cum-family return for another adventure are once again skyrocketing.
It’s Probably the Right Time for National Treasure To Return with Nicolas Cage
Since Book of Secrets, the fans have rallied for Disney to produce the third film, but it never progressed. In those years following Book of Secrets, Nicolas Cage’s career also took a downfall, leaving the franchise’s future in limbo. Earlier, however, in 2020, reports of a franchise’s continuation were in talks, but it was later repurposed for a television series without the original cast returning. Cage, in an interview, also said that National Treasure is not in consideration right now as the studio is rooting for a television series.
But now, Cage has found new success with films like Pig and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Not that Cage ever lost his fan support, as even during his stint with Direct-to-Video films, Cage’s performance was hardly met with a negative response. But, now that he is again headlining big productions and is in the mainstream, it’s the perfect timing to have him roped in to return with the third movie.
Jerry Bruckheimer is the only producer that can make it happen, and given his appreciation for Cage, he can deliver excellently on this promise. There will be some time before any announcement for National Treasure is made, but Bruckheimer’s promise has shed a positive light on the project. And it shall get fast-tracked when the script is done and ready.
Meanwhile, the National Treasure TV show is underway in active production, with Justin Bartha reprising his role as Riley Poole from the series in a guest appearance. The series will star Lisette Alexis, Lyndon Smith, Zuri Reed, Jake Austin Walker, Antonio Cipriano, Jordan Rodrigues, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The series will be exclusively released for streaming on Disney+.