Nicolas Cage’s National Treasure 3 is finally moving forward, director confirms

The action-adventure film franchise, National Treasure, starring Nicholas Cage, is expanding. After the success of the 2004 and 2007 films and a Disney+ series, the franchise might be returning to the big screen with its third installment. During the live taping of the National Treasure Hunt podcast on August 21, 2026, in Philadelphia, director John Turteltaub shared,

"It’s happening."

Turteltaub further added that it is the first time that he is publicly talking about the movie. However, the director also shared that nothing is official yet. He joked,

"It’s finally real. Now, it’s ‘Hollywood real,’ meaning things could happen. Nic [Cage] gets hit by a bus, there’s no National Treasure 3. If I get hit by a bus, there’s probably a National Treasure 3. Welcome to Hollywood."

Here's more about it.

Director John Turteltaub on National Treasure 3

Nicholas Cage is set to reprise his role as Ben Gates in the upcoming action-adventure movie - Source: Getty

According to John Turteltaub's comments during the National Treasure Hunt podcast on Friday, it looks like the makers are finally moving forward with the idea of the third installment of the franchise. Turteltaub added that they have finally found a script that he likes. According to him, the Disney officials also found the script promising, as they remarked,

"OK, this sounds like a movie we can make.”

However, the representatives have not made any official announcement yet. Turteltaub further explained to the podcast's host, Aubrey Paris and Emily Black, that making such movies is hard.

"These things are hard. As we get closer, you know, you start these movies before you are ready to start, which is crazy. And if I tell you stories of National Treasure 2, you will hate us."

In a 2024 interview with Deadline, Nicholas Cage, who played historian-turned-adventurer Ben Gates, revealed that he had fun while filming for the action-adventure film. He was amazed that Disney had not yet made a third one. He added that these films bring joy and make audiences curious about history. Cage went on to share some ideas about spin-off and reboot projects.

While attending the Producers Guild Awards in February 2026, producer Jerry Bruckheimer told Direct (via Collider) that the franchise is moving forward and the team is developing the screenplay.

The 2004 film introduced the viewers to historian Ben Gates, who stole the Declaration of Independence to find a map to find hidden treasures before anyone could reach them. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the film grossed $347 million. Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel, Sean Bean, Justin Bartha and Christopher Plummer were also part of the debut film.

National Treasure: Edge of History is available to stream on Disney+ (Image Via YouTube/@disneyplus)

Following its success, The Book of Secrets dropped in 2007. It grossed $459 million worldwide, breaking the record of the debut film. Over a decade later, Disney+ released a series in 2022 titled Edge of History. The series was, however, cancelled after one season.

Nicholas Cage is set to return as Ben Gates in the third installment of the franchise. However, the official cast list and plot are yet to be announced.