Director Jon Turteltaub gave fans in Philadelphia the news they had been hoping for nearly 20 years to hear: National Treasure 3 is officially moving forward, with Nicolas Cage returning as Ben Gates.
The filmmaker revealed the update on Friday (Aug. 22) during a live recording of the National Treasure Hunt podcast at the Philadelphia Visitor Center as part of the city’s first-ever National Treasure Weekend fan event.
Turteltaub presented the announcement as an exclusive reveal, telling the crowd it was the first time he had publicly shared the news.
“National Treasure 3 is happening. Thank you,” Turteltaub told the audience.
The announcement also came with additional updates. Turteltaub revealed that a script has been completed and met his personal standards, with Disney giving the project an initial green light.
When discussing the returning cast, the director made it clear: “To whatever extent we can, everyone’s back.” That would bring Cage back as the franchise’s central character.
Turteltaub also explained why the third installment took so many years to happen, pointing to a changing political environment that made the franchise’s patriotic themes more difficult to approach.
He reflected on a time when the movies had broad support across political lines, mentioning a private congressional screening requested by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, but noted that the sense of unity around the films has since changed.
“We have to be very careful, but I don’t feel we are allowed to ignore it,” Turteltaub said. “I think we have to include that idea in the story somehow without making someone feel put off.”
The first two National Treasure movies earned a combined $806 million worldwide, with the 2007 sequel surpassing the original by bringing in $459 million. Disney+ later released the spinoff series National Treasure: Edge of History in 2022, but the show was canceled after one season.
