Nicolas Cage has had a fascinating career and impressed audiences in the 2021 film Pig about a man's quest to find his animal. He is known for starring in many horror movies, but he's also synonymous with the family-friendly action movie franchise National Treasure. Audiences of all ages can appreciate the two films, released in 2004 and 2007, and it's fun to watch Cage's character go on a true adventure. The movies have great characters and fast-paced plots.
Since several years have passed since the sequel was released, it's natural to be curious about a third film, especially since the TV show National Treasure: Edge of History premiered on Disney+ in December 2022. Will there be a National Treasure 3? It definitely seems like there is an audience ready to go on another mission with Ben Gates.
What Is National Treasure About?
The National Treasure TV series doesn't have Nicolas Cage, which is definitely one way that it stands apart from the two movies. Cage plays the main character, Benjamin Franklin Gates, who is a cryptographer and historian. The first movie explains that he carries around the memory of his grandpa explaining that Freemasons, Founding Fathers, and the knights Templar put a secret treasure somewhere. Ben's grandpa knew the clue, "the secret lies with Charlotte." Ben has always thought that he would grow up and find this treasure, which is the mission that powers the film.
The movie has it all: a love story between Ben and archivist Dr. Abigail Chase, some family drama as Ben's father Patrick (Jon Voight) doesn't believe in the treasure, and a satisfying conclusion. The movie also has a fun side character in Ben's friend Riley Poole (Justin Bartha). Even though the movie is fairly predictable and it's clear that Ben will succeed, it's still entertaining watching him reach his goal. It hits all the right notes of an action film.
National Treasure has a 46% rating on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer, so it wasn't a critical darling. But it has a 76% Audience Score, which is pretty good. The movie is a fun adventure. Nicolas Cage has many strong horror performances but his turn in National Treasure as a character trying to uncover a story is enjoyable. When comparing Ben with one of Cage's other memorable characters, Red in the 2018 horror film Mandy, Ben is definitely more relatable and more of an everyman.
What Is National Treasure 2 About?
The first National Treasure movie was so successful that it led to a sequel, which was released in 2007. In National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Ben and Patrick are told that their relative was part of the mission to kill Abraham Lincoln. They don't believe that this is true and work with Abigail and Riley to figure out the truth. The National Treasure sequel fared a bit worse on Rotten Tomatoes, earning a 36% rating on the Tomatometer and a 67% Audience Score. But it's still a great movie to watch after the first one.
The best Nicolas Cage movies include some of his more serious work like Pig and Mandy, but National Treasure will always feel like a heartwarming part of his acting resume. The sequel builds on the world created in the first film and continues Ben's fun journey. National Treasure was a huge box office hit and grossed $347,512,318 globally, according to Box Office Mojo. National Treasure: Book of Secrets made even more money, grossing $459,242,249 worldwide. This suggests that there would be an audience ready to watch a third National Treasure movie and this has been a big question over the years.
Is National Treasure 3 Happening?
National Treasure 3 hasn't happened yet, but there's good news: it sounds like it will happen at some point. Jerry Bruckheimer told E! News, "We said we'd like to make another National Treasure and they said, ‘Sure, let's come up with a new cast.' At the same time, we were developing National Treasure for the theaters with Nicolas Cage—which we still are. So, that's ongoing."
The best film franchises give audiences what they want but still tell new stories, which is why National Treasure: Book of Secrets works so well. Since Ben locates new treasure in each movie, it seems like this franchise could keep going for a long time as there will always be something thrilling going on in his life. There seems to be enough plot for at least one more movie.
Since it's been over a decade since National Treasure: Book of Secrets was released, there's definitely a curious audience ready to watch the third film. Since Nicolas Cage isn't in National Treasure: Edge Of History, it will be great to watch the third movie and see what secrets Ben uncovers.