Nicolas Cage is candid about the lack of development on National Treasure 3, with the potential sequel remaining a source of much discussion.

 Nicolas Cage expresses surprise and disappointment that a third National Treasure film still hasn’t been made despite the success and popularity of the franchise.
 Cage explains that he had a lot of fun making the previous movies and believes they’re classics for the whole family.
National Treasure 3 has been in development for some time, but it has made little progress over the years.

Nicolas Cage is surprised that National Treasure 3 is still not moving forward. The first National Treasure film, released in 2004, remains one of Cage’s most popular works.

The success of the action-adventure heist movie led to a sequel, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, that was released in 2007. Fifteen years later, the franchise expanded further with the Disney+ television series National Treasure: Edge of History, although it was canceled after one season. Throughout this time, there has been discussion and speculation about whether National Treasure 3 will ever happen.

While speaking with Deadline, Cage was complimented on the National Treasure movies and asked whether they were fun to make.

While National Treasure 3 has gone through multiple scripts, Cage is candid in the interview about the lack of development for a third film and his surprise that it still hasn’t happened. Read Cage’s comments below:

Oh, well, thanks. Yeah, well, they’re a lot of fun. I mean, I enjoy them too, and I think Jon Turteltaub made a couple of classic films for the whole family.

I’m still kind of amazed that Disney hasn’t wanted to make a third one. I thought the movies brought a lot of joy to the public, and it’s certainly interesting about history, and I think all of that is worthwhile filmmaking.

As Cage indicates in his comments, National Treasure hit the goldmine of being fun, beloved, family-friendly movies that also put fascinating spins on history.

A third film will have a widespread, built-in audience who is eager for nostalgia and a new adventure, but the tone of the franchise could appeal to new viewers as well. Even better, it is a franchise that is easy to jump into and does not require extensive foreknowledge.

More than anything, there is a significant desire to see Cage reprise his leading role as Benjamin Franklin Gates. This is not only due to nostalgia, but because of the growing appreciation for Cage’s acting over the years, particularly in movies like Pig that reveal the depth he can bring to his performances.

Even though the Edge of History series expanded the National Treasure franchise, Cage’s absence, even as a cameo, proved to be a major disappointment and one of the reasons why the series failed to gain significant traction.

Book of Secrets‘ page 47 cliffhanger set up the next film with the mystery of what’s on that page in the book that contains all the U.S. presidents’ secrets. That story is still waiting to be told and remains a much-discussed topic among the fanbase.

As Ben explores this mystery, he has to reunite with Justin Bartha’s Riley Poole, who appeared in Edge of History, and Diane Kruger’s Dr. Abigail Chase. Cage’s return and reuniting the trio are the main priority, regardless of whether National Treasure 3 focuses on page 47 or another historical mystery.