Prepare for another adventure: director Jon Turteltaub confirms a third National Treasure film is underway.
During a live recording of the National Treasure Hunt podcast in Philadelphia on Friday, Turteltaub remarked, “It’s happening. You’re the first to hear this from me. I haven’t spoken about it before, but you deserve the scoop. It’s finally real—‘Hollywood real,’ meaning it could actually move forward. If Nicolas Cage were to get hit by a bus, there would be no National Treasure 3. If I were to get hit by a bus, there’s probably a National Treasure 3. Welcome to Hollywood.”
“We finally have a script I’m happy with,” he said, adding that Disney responded, “OK, this sounds like a movie we can make.”
The Hollywood Reporter contacted Disney for a comment, which was declined.
The original National Treasure debuted in 2004, starring Nicolas Cage as historian Ben Gates, who steals the Declaration of Independence to uncover a map to a legendary treasure before rivals can. The cast also includes Harvey Keitel, Jon Voight, Diane Kruger, Sean Bean, Justin Bartha, and Christopher Plummer, and the film earned $347 million worldwide.
The 2007 sequel, National Treasure: The Book of Secrets, grossed $459 million globally and welcomed Helen Mirren, Ed Harris, Bruce Greenwood, and Ty Burrell to the ensemble.
The franchise later expanded to television with National Treasure: Edge of History, which premiered on Disney+ in 2022 but was cancelled after one season; Catherine Zeta‑Jones joined the cast, while Justin Bartha and Harvey Keitel returned to their roles.
As for the third installment, no casting has been announced yet, and THR has contacted Nicolas Cage’s representative for comment.
