National Treasure 3 Writer, Development Details And More

In 2004, Walt Disney Pictures released "National Treasure," a historical adventure-mystery film that's still a fun watch all these years later. The action movie stars Nicolas Cage as historian and treasure hunter Ben Gates, a man who's been searching for a hidden trove of Templar gold for most of his adult life. Aided by his best friend Riley (Justin Bartha), romantic interest Abigail (Diane Kruger), and father Patrick (Jon Voight), Ben uses clues from U.S. history to track down the treasure. In the process, he sets up an entire franchise of successful films.

Well ... that's what should've happened, anyway. But after the first "National Treasure" hit theaters, we only got one cinematic sequel, 2007's "National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets," and the Disney+ series "National Treasure: Edge of History." Given its strong premise — who doesn't like historians hunting for hidden loot? — it sure seems like we should've gotten more "National Treasure" properties by this point. In fact, a third film has long been in development. So where is it exactly? Well, get ready to brush off some dusty documents, crack a few codes, and possibly steal some well-guarded artifacts as we discuss everything you need to know about "National Treasure 3."

Hey, Ben Gates, solve this mystery — why haven't we seen "National Treasure 3" yet? Word of a threequel broke in 2009, but then things floundered. This might've been due to lack of corporate interest, as Nicolas Cage told Deadline in 2024, "I'm still kind of amazed that Disney hasn't wanted to make a third one." In July 2018, "National Treasure" director Jon Turtletaub shed some light on the issue, telling Collider, "It's really that Disney feels they have other films they want to make that they think will make more money. ... They don't quite realize how much the internet is begging for a third 'National Treasure.'"

Things started moving in the right direction during 2020, when a screenwriter was brought aboard to pen a new script. Then, in December 2022, producer Jerry Bruckheimer sat down with E! News to discuss the Disney+ "Edge of History" series and revealed, "At the same time [we were casting 'Edge of History'], we were developing 'National Treasure' for the theaters with Nicolas Cage."

Notably, Cage himself threw a wrench into the works in March 2024, when the frustrated actor told Screen Rant, "There is no 'National Treasure 3.' If you want to find treasure, don't look at Disney, okay? It's not there." While it sounds like Cage has given up, Bruckheimer told MovieWeb there's still hope. Speaking with the site in March 2024, the Hollywood powerhouse said, "We hope there's a 'National Treasure 3.' ... We have a brilliant writer working on it right now, so hopefully, if we get a script in a timely fashion, we'll send it to Nic [Cage] and, if he likes it, we'll make another one."

So far, no one has been officially cast in "National Treasure 3." However, we feel pretty confident saying that if the movie happens, Nicolas Cage will probably star in it as Ben Gates. Is Cage interested in returning to the series? It's unclear. On the one hand, he's made it clear that he's looking to change his career, which might mean making fewer movies. This could mean his time as Gates is over. On the other hand, many sources suggest that prospective scripts are being sent to him for approval, which implies he's still committed to the franchise.

This is murky territory, but fans have reason for optimism. Cage has expressed a lot of fondness for the character of Gates, for one thing. While discussing his character's most infamous line — "I'm going to steal the Declaration of Independence" — he told Vanity Fair in November 2023, "What I really like about that scene ... is I like the positivity of the character. He really believes this. He really reveres it. I think that's charming." Clearly, there are warm and fuzzy feelings on Cage's end towards the world of "National Treasure."

Director Jon Turteltaub definitely believes Cage will come back. In fact, speaking on the "National Treasure Hunt" podcast, the main who helmed both "National Treasure" movies said he believes Cage, Diane Kruger, and Justin Bartha might all return. "There's no one who doesn't want to make it," he explained. "We all want to make it because we all have tremendous affection not just for it but for each other."

At this moment, there's no director attached to "National Treasure 3," but we do know a bit about the screenplay. At one point, Chris Bremner of "Bad Boys for Life" and "Bad Boys: Ride or Die" was penning the script, but it appears that writing duties have shifted to Ted Elliott. If you haven't heard the name, you've definitely seen his movies, as Elliott is the screenwriter behind titles like "The Mask of Zorro," "Shrek," and "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl." Plus, he was involved in various capacities with both of the previous "National Treasure" movies.

Speaking on the "National Treasure Hunt" podcast about the threequel, Elliott talked about how the relationship between Ben and Riley will evolve, saying, "Riley has changed more [than any other character]. If you just look at the two points that are established for him in the first and second movies, in the first one, he is the uninformed audience. ... That's the role he plays. He's the guy who says, 'What are you talking about there?' In the second one, he's written a book about cryptohistory. And he's right! He knows something Ben didn't know about history. I just have to think that that's continued."

Elliott also explained how the TV show "Book of Secrets" will factor into the movie. According to the screenwriter, the movie will follow the Disney+ show's lead in regards to Harvey Keitel's Agent Peter Sadusky. The FBI agent won't be coming back from the grave, although the bureau will still play a part in Elliott's script. "I'm trying to do something different with the FBI than was done in the previous two movies. There's still the pursuers, there's still the force for law and order, but just the way they operate I'm trying to do something just a little bit different."

At this stage in the game, we don't know what the third "National Treasure" will be about. However, fans of the franchise want the series to delve deeper into the president's "Book of Secrets" — specifically, page 47. In the sequel film, it's implied there's something very mysterious about that particular page, although we never learn what it holds. However, in the Disney+ series "Edge of History," Justin Bartha makes an appearance as treasure hunter Riley Poole, and he drops a hint about what might happen next.

"Ben and I have been working on this super important thing for the last three, four, 15 years," he tells the series' young group of adventurers. "Let's just say, there's 47 reasons to be interested." Obviously, that sounds like a clear set-up for the third film ... although we're not sure the movie will actually go that route. Speaking with Variety in December 2022, Bartha explained the motivation for that line, saying, "The page 47 reference was something that I threw in there when we were filming. I just had to."

So yeah, it was all bit of improvisation, but hopefully the "National Treasure 3" filmmakers will take a nod from the Disney+ series and finally solve this 15-year-old mystery. And if the third film does come along, there's a good chance an old enemy might make an appearance. On the "National Treasure Hunt" podcast, director Jon Turteltaub was asked if Sean Bean's character from the first movie, Ian Howard, was out of prison yet. His response? "The answer is yes ... or about to be yes. And I know that sounds like a 'National Treasure 3' hint, but I'm not saying it isn't. But I'm not saying it is."

While we're waiting for "National Treasure 3," it might be a good idea to go back and binge all the previous treasure-hunting adventures. The series kicks off with 2004's "National Treasure," where Ben Gates finds himself up against a ruthless criminal and the FBI in the hunt for a massive cache of gold. And in the process, he has to break into the National Archives and steal the Declaration of Independence. Yeah, the film gets pretty crazy, and you can stream "National Treasure" on Disney+, or you can rent it on sites like Amazon Prime, Google Play, Vudu, and YouTube.

2007's "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" finds Benjamin Gates out to clear his family's name when his ancestor is linked to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The quest will pit him against a ruthless black market dealer and send him on a quest to find the fabled city of Cibola. It might also set up a third film with the appearance of the president's titular book. You can stream the sequel on Disney+, or you can rent it on Amazon Prime, Google Play, Vudu, and YouTube.

Then, you'll want to check out the Disney+ series, "National Treasure: Edge of History." While the show does feature the return of Justin Bartha's Riley Poole and Harvey Keitel's Agent Sadusky, it mostly focuses on a brand new cast of characters led by Jess Valenzuela (Lisette Olivera), a young woman trying to find a Meso-American treasure before an unscrupulous antiquities dealer can get her hands on it. You can stream the series on Disney+.