After years of rumors and speculation, it looks like “National Treasure 3” could actually be happening — with Nicolas Cage’s approval.
Jerry Bruckheimer confirms ‘National Treasure 3’?
It’s been 15 years since the “National Treasure” sequel, “Book of Secrets,” hit the big screen. Fans were left with many questions, including the mystery “Page 47” of a secret book belonging to the U.S. president, the Deseret News previously reported.
Now, it appears that “National Treasure” fans may finally get some answers. Recently, while promoting “Top Gun: Maverick,” producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed a script for a third “National Treasure” film has been written and that it just needs approval from Cage, who plays Benjamin Franklin Gates in the films.
“We’re working on the script right now,” Bruckheimer told ComicBook.com. “Hopefully (Cage) likes it, but it’s really good. So I think we’ll get it to him shortly.”
What about the ‘National Treasure’ Disney+ series?
The news comes a few months after Cage said there likely wouldn’t be a third film due to the series becoming a TV show on Disney+, per ComicBook.com. The upcoming Disney+ series “will focus on a young heroine named Jess (Lisette Alexis), who looks to uncover the truth about her family’s mysterious past and save a lost Pan-American treasure,” the Deseret News previously reported.
Catherine Zeta-Jones will also star in the new series, which does not yet have a release date. According to Disney Plus Informer, fans can likely expect the series to hit the streamer in the fall of 2022 or early 2023.
‘National Treasure 3’ a long time coming
“National Treasure 3” has been a long time coming. In 2018, “National Treasure” director Jon Turteltaub talked with Collider about the third film getting pushed back.
“When ‘National Treasure’ first got made, there was a lot more money to go around. Everybody got paid nicely. The problem with getting the third one made isn’t the people who are getting paid saying, ‘I’m not doing it unless you pay me a lot!’ It’s really that Disney feels they have other films they want to make that they think will make them more money,” Turtletaub said, per the Deseret News.
“I think they’re wrong. I think they’re right about the movies they’re making; they’re obviously doing a really good job at making great films. I just think this would be one of them, and they don’t quite realize how much the internet is begging for a third ‘National Treasure.’”