A third National Treasure movie has moved from fan wish list to active pursuit, with director Jon Turteltaub telling an audience in Philadelphia that the long-discussed sequel is “finally real” and that a script now exists.
Turteltaub, who directed both 2004’s National Treasure and 2007’s National Treasure: Book of Secrets, made the comments Friday night during a live taping of the National Treasure Hunt podcast. Addressing the crowd, he said, “It’s happening. You’re the first people I’ve said this out loud to. I have not said anything before this, but you deserve to have the scoop. It’s finally real.”
The filmmaker also offered the kind of caveat that comes with almost every studio sequel before cameras roll. He described the project as “Hollywood real,” meaning it is alive in development but not yet immune to the usual obstacles involving schedules, contracts, budgets and approvals.
Still, for a franchise that has spent nearly two decades inspiring speculation, rumors and periodic updates, Turteltaub’s remarks are the clearest signal yet that Disney is again seriously pursuing a new big-screen chapter centered on history, hidden clues and high-stakes adventure.
The significance of the update is not simply that another sequel may be on the way. National Treasure occupies a particular lane in Disney’s live-action library: a family-friendly adventure brand with broad four-quadrant appeal, a recognizable star in Nicolas Cage and a premise that can travel across generations without depending on superheroes, animation or existing theme-park IP.
The original film introduced Cage as Benjamin Franklin Gates, a historian and treasure hunter whose belief in a vast secret fortune hidden by America’s founders leads him into a race involving the Declaration of Independence. The sequel expanded the mythology with another puzzle tied to presidential history, secret societies and the mysterious Book of Secrets.
Together, the two films became durable commercial performers and cable-era favorites, building a loyal audience that has continued to ask about a third installment long after the second movie left theaters. The franchise’s appeal has endured in part because it delivers adventure without cynicism: elaborate riddles, historical trivia, museum-piece iconography and the pleasure of watching smart characters solve puzzles under pressure.
Why This Matters for Disney
For Disney, a revived National Treasure film would arrive at a moment when studios are looking for recognizable properties that can still justify theatrical release. The company has leaned heavily on Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar, animation remakes and sequels, but the live-action adventure category has become harder to crack. A successful return of National Treasure could give Disney a comparatively grounded franchise with franchise-name awareness and nostalgia built in.
It also comes after Disney tested the brand on streaming with National Treasure: Edge of History, the Disney+ series that introduced a new generation of puzzle-solvers while connecting to the movie universe. The show did not continue beyond its first season, but its existence showed the studio had not abandoned the property. A theatrical sequel with the original creative DNA would be a different proposition, especially if Cage is back at the center.
Cage’s involvement remains the key question for fans and for the project’s commercial prospects. Turteltaub’s own joke about the fragility of “Hollywood real” underscored the obvious: without Cage, a third National Treasure would face a much steeper climb. The actor’s performance as Gates is central to the films’ identity, balancing earnest obsession, comic panic and action-movie determination.
In the years since Book of Secrets, Cage has entered one of the most unpredictable and closely watched phases of his career, moving between indies, genre swings and self-aware star vehicles. His renewed critical attention has only increased interest in seeing him return to one of his most accessible studio roles.
A Long Road Back
A third film has been discussed in various forms for years, with producers and executives occasionally indicating that ideas were being explored. That stop-start development history is why Turteltaub’s public declaration carries weight. The phrase “we have a script” may sound modest, but in Hollywood development terms it marks a meaningful step beyond hopeful conversations.
A script does not guarantee production. It does, however, give the studio, producers and talent something concrete to evaluate. It can be budgeted, revised, packaged and used to align schedules. For a franchise that depends on elaborate set pieces, location work and puzzle mechanics, having a screenplay is a major threshold.
The creative challenge now is to make National Treasure 3 feel both familiar and necessary. Audiences will expect coded messages, historical artifacts and a sense of patriotic mythmaking, but a modern sequel must also find a reason to exist beyond nostalgia. The best version would likely acknowledge the years that have passed while preserving the old-fashioned adventure tone that made the films rewatchable.
There is also the matter of the ensemble. Justin Bartha’s Riley Poole and Diane Kruger’s Abigail Chase were essential pieces of the original formula, giving Gates allies who could challenge, support and tease him through increasingly implausible escapades. Whether the new script brings back the full team, introduces younger characters or attempts both will help determine how Disney positions the film.
What is clear is that audience appetite has not disappeared. The reaction to even small updates around the franchise has remained unusually strong for a live-action adventure series that has not released a theatrical installment since 2007. That kind of persistence is valuable in an era when studios spend heavily to manufacture awareness.
What Happens Next
The next phase will depend on Disney’s internal process: script revisions, producer alignment, talent deals and a greenlight decision. If Cage, Turteltaub and key returning players formally commit, the project could move quickly from “Hollywood real” to a production timetable.
Until then, Turteltaub’s comments represent the most encouraging sign yet for fans who have spent years waiting for another map, another clue and another impossible historical conspiracy. The treasure hunt is not on the release calendar yet, but for the first time in a long time, it appears to be back on the board.