National Treasure 3 is officially in development, according to director Jon Turteltaub, who confirmed the long-rumored sequel is real during a live recording of the podcast National Treasure Hunt.
Turteltaub, who directed both previous films in the franchise, said the third instalment "is happening" and revealed that, for the first time, a script exists that he likes enough for Disney to consider turning it into a movie.
The National Treasure franchise so far
National Treasure was released in 2004 and starred Nicolas Cage as Ben Gates, a treasure hunter who follows clues hidden in historical documents. Without reaching the heights of films like Indiana Jones, it still drew large audiences with its mix of adventure and historical mystery, and performed well enough at the box office to secure a sequel.
That follow-up, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, arrived in 2007 and went on to outperform the original at the box office. Since then, fans of the franchise have waited for word of a third film, one that always seemed close but never quite materialized, kept alive over the years only by vague comments about its status.
A script Disney likes
Turteltaub said that, unlike in the past, a script now exists that has convinced him the project can become a real film, and that Disney has taken it seriously enough to keep developing it.
Even so, he was careful to attach a major condition to the film's future, one centered entirely on Nicolas Cage. Turteltaub described the project as "real in Hollywood," a phrase he used to signal that plenty could still change before the film reaches theaters.
No National Treasure 3 without Cage
Chief among the risks, in Turteltaub's own words, is Cage's participation. If the actor were unable to take part, he said, there would be no National Treasure 3, a blunt way of stressing just how essential Cage is to the role of Ben Gates.
Turteltaub has not shared any plot details for the new adventure, and no release date has been set. He did say that, as much as possible, everyone comes back, opening the door to other familiar faces from the earlier films returning alongside Cage. For now, no additional cast members have been officially confirmed.
