Nicolas Cage Says ‘National Treasure 3’ Is Not Happening

Those hoping for another National Treasure movie won’t want to hear what series star Nicolas Cage has to say about the possibility.

“No, there is no National Treasure 3,” the actor, who played Benjamin Franklin Gates in the films, bluntly stated in an interview with Screen Rant.

He expanded, sounding a little frustrated by the rumors. “Here we go! See, you’re the one that brings these things up and they go out and they eclipse everything else,” Cage said. “No, there is no National Treasure 3. If you want to find treasure, don’t look at Disney, OK? It’s not there.”

The first two installments in the series starring Cage, 60, were box office successes, even if critics had mixed reviews. The first film grossed $347.5 million worldwide during its 2004 run. Its 2007 sequel, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, took in $459 million.

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A very patriotic heist. The premise of National Treasure — stealing the Declaration of Independence — has become a meme since the film’s 2004 release, but the movie is still beloved for its blend of action and adventure. Directed by Jon Turteltaub, National Treasure follows treasure hunter and cryptographer Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage), who […]

The movies also spawned a Disney+ series, National Treasure: The Edge of History, which ran for one 10-episode season. The series exists in the same universe as the films but was canceled before Cage could make a cameo. Fans, however, were rewarded with appearances from Justin Bartha and Harvey Keitel, who reprised their roles as Riley Poole and Agent Peter Sadusky, respectively.

While it’s been more than 15 years since a National Treasure film was released in theaters, rumors of a third installment have persisted. Reports even surfaced in 2020 that the movie was in development with producer Jerry Bruckheimer on board. A fourth movie was said to be in the works, as well.

Bruckheimer said in 2022 that he would like to make another National Treasure movie.

“We said we’d like to make another National Treasure and they said, ‘Sure, let’s come up with a new cast,’” Bruckheimer told E! News. “At the same time, we were developing National Treasure for the theaters with Nicolas Cage — which we still are. So, that’s ongoing.”

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Bruckheimer added that he and Cage were helping on the script for the movie, which was rumored to center around a search for the lost city of Atlantis.

As for Cage, he’s been busy with other projects, even if those National Treasure rumors refuse to die down. His upcoming action horror film Arcadian is set to release on April 12. Cage stars in and is credited as a producer for the movie. He’s also featured in upcoming films Longlegs, The Surfer and Lords of War.