Jon Turteltaub Says ‘National Treasure 3’ is Happening

Nicolas Cage in ‘National Treasure.’ Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.

Preview:

Filmmaker Jon Turteltaub Says That ‘National Treasure 3’ may yet happen.
He has a script in hand.
It’s still early days for the project.

Hide documents of national historical importance! Nicolas Cage could well be back on the hunt!

On a live recording of the ‘National Treasure Hunt’ podcast in Philadelphia, director Jon Turteltaub sounded a positive note for a third entry in the ‘National Treasure’ movie franchise lead by Cage, which has seen rumors come and go in years past.

“In order to break the code, one man will have to break all the rules.”

Release Date: Nov 19, 2004

Run Time: 2 hr 11 min

Budget: $100,000,000

Here’s what Turteltaub had to say:

“It’s happening. You’re the first people I have said this out loud to. It’s finally real. Now, it’s ‘Hollywood real,’ meaning things can happen. Nic gets hit by a bus, there’s no ‘National Treasure.’ If I get hit by a bus, there’s probably a ‘National Treasure.’ Welcome to Hollywood, that’s Hollywood. I finally have a script that I like.”

He went on to add that studio backers Disney also appear confident in the screenplay.

Related Article: Don’t Hold Your Breath for ‘National Treasure 3’

What was the story of ‘National Treasure’?

(L to R) Justin Bartha, Nicolas Cage and Diane Kruger in ‘National Treasure.’ Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.

In the 2004 original, Cage stars as historian Ben Gates, who has to steal the Declaration of Independence in order to get the map to an ancient, rumored treasure before his shady colleague Ian (Sean Bean) has the chance to steal it for himself.

It was followed by 2007 sequel ‘National Treasure: Book of Secrets,’ which saw Gates, now armed with a stack of long-lost pages from John Wilkes Booth’s diary, follow a clue left there to prove his ancestor’s innocence in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

Together, the movies surpassed $800M at the global box office, and in 2022, Disney+ released Cage-free spin-off series ‘National Treasure: Edge of History,’ which starred Catherine Zeta-Jones.

When might we see the new ‘National Treasure’?

Don’t go looking to book tickets just yet. There’s no word yet on whether Cage is on board, and the project remains at a very early stage. Still, there’s reason to hope…

(L to R) Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, and Jon Voight in ‘National Treasure’. Photo: DIsney.