Nearly 20 years after “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” arrived in theaters, director Jon Turteltaub has confirmed that a third movie is moving forward at Disney. According to World of Reel, citing the Philadelphia Inquirer, Turteltaub made the announcement during a live taping of the “National Treasure Hunt” podcast in Philadelphia, giving fans an update that has been years in the making.
‘National Treasure 3’ Has Been a Long Time Coming
A third installment has spent years trapped in development. The franchise began with the 2004 film, which introduced Nicolas Cage as Benjamin Franklin Gates, a historian and treasure hunter obsessed with solving clues hidden throughout American history. The sequel followed in 2007, expanding the story with another international hunt and returning characters including Riley Poole and Abigail Chase.
Since then, the idea of a third movie has repeatedly surfaced without reaching the screen. A sequel was officially put into development in 2008, and multiple scripts were written or revised over the years. Even when the project appeared to be making progress, Disney’s approval remained a hurdle. By 2020, “National Treasure 3” was officially back in development, with Chris Bremner hired to write a new script. Even then, the picture remained far from becoming a reality.
That makes Turteltaub’s latest comments different from the usual update attached to this project. Speaking to fans at the podcast event, the director simply declared, “it’s happening.” He also revealed that the audience in Philadelphia was the first group he had told about the development publicly, adding, “you deserve to have the scoop.”
The biggest question has always been whether the original cast could be part of the comeback. Turteltaub said Disney has a script the studio likes and indicated that, “to whatever extent we can, everyone’s back,” including Cage. It remains to be seen whether the A-lister will ultimately confirm his return.