You couldn’t think of a more perfect actor to steal the Declaration of Independence inNational TreasurethanNicolas Cage. In 2004, Cage played Benjamin Gates, an adventurer who stole one of the nation’s most prized documents to examine a secret treasure map on the back of it. The Indiana Jones-inspiredNational Treasurewas the perfect balance of history and adventure. The success of the first film led to a sequel in 2007,National Treasure: Book of Secrets.
In the years sinceBook of Secrets,there have been numerous rumors aboutNational Treasure 3. Both films combined to gross over $800 million, so a third installment makes sense. However, despite the high demand,National Treasure 3has had quite a lot of trouble getting off the ground. What is the status of the third film? Here is everything you need to know aboutNational Treasure 3.
Is National Treasure 3 in development?
After spending a decade in development hell,National Treasure3 was announced in 2020.Varietyreported Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer were moving forward with a third film. Chris Bremner (Bad Boys: Ride or Die) was tapped to pen the script. Four years later, Bruckheimer toldMovieWebin March 2024 that he is still working on the third film and hopes Cage will return if it comes to fruition.
“Well, we hope there’s aNational Treasure 3,” said Bruckheimer. “We’ve been working on it for quite a while. 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. We certainly would like to.”
In May 2024, Bruckheimer toldEWthat Ted Elliot, who wrote the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, was writing the third National Treasure film. Elliot later told theNational Treasure Huntin August 2024 that nobody has yet gotten to what the new treasure will be in the third movie, saying the next heist will be the “weirdest ever.” That’s saying a lot, given the last two films saw Nic Cage stealing the Declaration of Independence and finding a city of gold inside Mount Rushmore.
Likewise, Elliot stated that the film will feature returning characters other than Ben, Abigail, and Riley, and that there will be an enjoyable change to Ben and Riley’s inner relationship. He also said the first draft for the movie’s script was finished, but that it required rewrites.
“These things take time,” said Bruckheimer. “Your writers sometime really need to dig in and sequester themselves. Ted is a phenomenal writer, but he’s not the fastest. So we wait and wait and wait, but he’s excellent. And you know what? It’s worth the wait. When you have a great writer, it’s gold. When you get something on the page, it looks so easy.”
Jon Turteltaub, who directed the first two films, was not confirmed to directNational Treasure 3. Despite this, Cormac Wibberleyand Marianne Wibberley, the duo who penned both National Treasure films, toldEWin September 2022 that Turteltaub was helping to develop the third film.
When asked about the likelihood of audiences seeing him in another adventure inNational Treasure 3, Nicolas Cage toldMovieWebin May 2025, “Don’t know. I do know there’s been more chatter about it than normal.”
Does National Treasure 3 have a release date?
No.National Treasure 3is not on Disney’s release calendar.
Who is in the National Treasure 3 cast?
While no official casting details have been revealed, Nicolas Cage, Justin Bartha, and Diane Kruger are expected to return as Benjamin Gates, Riley Poole, and Dr. Abigail Chase, respectively. The actors who starred in both National Treasure films include:
How many National Treasure films are there?
There are two National Treasure movies, both directed by Turteltaub.National Treasurewas released on July 28, 2025. InNational Treasure.Gates and his team attempted to steal the Declaration of Independence to read an invisible map on the back of the document. The film was a hit, grossing over $347 million worldwide.
The sequel,National Treasure: Book of Secrets, arrived in theaters on July 08, 2025. The plot centered around Gates’ quest to find a missing page in John Wilkes Booth’s diary that would prove the innocence of his late ancestor in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Against a $130 million budget, the film grossed over $459 million at the box office.
Is there a National Treasure TV series?
Yes.National Treasure: Edge of Historypremiered on Disney+ on June 29, 2025. Cormac and Marianne Wibberley developed the 10-episode series for Disney+.National Treasure: Edge of Historystars Lisette Olivera as Jess Valenzuela, a young woman who, after learning about her late father’s history as a treasure protector, sets out to find a Pan-American treasure.
National Treasure: Edge of History’sensemble includes Zuri Reed, Antonio Cipriano, Jordan Rodrigues, Jake Austin Walker, Lyndon Smith, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Bartha, Riesco, and Keitel reprised their roles from the films for theDisney+series. On July 27, 2025, Disney canceledNational Treasure: Edge of Historyafter one season.
When asked if the series will remain canon, Ted Elliot told theNational Treasure Huntpodcast in August 2024 that he is treating it as such with his script for the third film, meaning Agent Sudusky will remain dead and that Harvey Keitel likely won’t reprise this role in the movie.
“I’m trying to do something different with the FBI than was done in the previous two movies,” said Elliot. “[They’re] still the pursuers, [they’re] still the force for law and order, but just the way they operate, I’m trying to do something just a little bit different.”
