Tag: Nicolas Cage

It seems hard to believe, but nearly 20 years ago, Disney introduced the world to Benjamin Gates, and they followed along in his journey to steal the Declaration of Independence (for a good reason of course). National Treasure starred Nicolas Cage as Benjamin Franklin Gates, Diane Kruger as Abigail Chase, Justin Bartha as Riley Poole, Harvey Keitel as Peter Sandusky, and Jon Voight as Patrick Gates. The movie was such a hit that, 3 years later, a sequel film — National Treasure: Book of Secrets — came out. Unfortunately, that film was not as successful as the first.

Book Of Secrets ended with a lead-in to a potential third film, but sadly, that film never came to pass. However, it looks like that may be about to change. According to National Treasure producer Jerry Bruckheimer, a third script is nearly complete and will be sent to Cage! Bruckheimer spoke to Comicbook.com and told them that they have a really great script and that he hopes Cage likes it.

“Let’s hope we’re working on the script right now. Hopefully [Cage] likes it, but it’s really good. So I think we’ll get it to him shortly,” Bruckheimer told us.

It was previously reported that Nic Cage had been on the outs with Disney for a while. Cage starred in several films that were unsuccessful, and said that Disney had stopped calling him. He was asked about a third National Treasure film, but he did not sound very hopeful.

This is not the only National Treasure project Disney has in the works. In March 2021, Disney greenlit a new National Treasure series for its streaming service, Disney+. The new series — called National Treasure: Edge of History — will see both Justin Bartha and Harvey Keitel will return to reprise their roles as Riley Poole and Peter Sandusky. The series will also star Lisette Olivera as Jess Valenzuela and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Billie.

Although nothing is solidified yet, the creators of National Treasure: Edge of History are hopeful that Benjamin Gates makes an appearance in the series. Co-creator Marianne Wibberley said that they will do whatever it takes, including begging, to get Cage to appear on the show.

National Treasure: Edge of History does not yet have a premiere date, but is expected to be on Disney+ sometime in 2023.

Via DisDining.com

In the late 1990s through the early 200s, it seemed that every movie Nicolas Cage touched turned to gold. He was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood and was in a number of notable films, including Face/Off, Gone In 60 Seconds, Adaptation., and Ghost Rider. In 2004, Disney fans around the world saw him play Benjamin Franklin Gates in the hit movie National Treasure. The movie was so successful that a sequel came out in 2007 and a third installment was promised.

Unfortunately, Cage had several films that were box office flops, including Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Season of the Witch, and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. That led to many of his film heading straight for Video on Demand. It was then that Cage began to see that production companies he had once had a close relationship with were beginning to turn their backs on him. One of those companies was Disney.

In a new interview with GQ Magazine, Cage spoke about the issues he had in trying to make National Treasure 3 happen:

Cage is matter-of-fact when he speaks about how he went from headlining blockbusters to going straight to VOD. “The phone stopped ringing,” he says. “It was like, ‘What do you mean we’re not doing National Treasure 3? It’s been 14 years. Why not?’ ” He would often get a circuitous answer, but he knew what the elephant in the room was. “Well, Sorcerer’s Apprentice didn’t work, and Ghost Rider didn’t really sell tickets. And Drive Angry, that just came and went.’”

Cage wants to keep going with the indies. “I enjoy making movies like Pig and Leaving Las Vegas more than I enjoy making movies like National Treasure,” he says. He waves away suggestions that National Treasure 3 is happening, after I mention that Jerry Bruckheimer told me they were developing something. “When I talk about fair-weather friends in Hollywood, I’m not talking about Jerry. I’m talking about Disney,” he says. “They’re like an ocean liner. Once they go in a certain direction, you’ve got to get a million tugboats to try to swivel it back around.”

Jerry Bruckheimer — the original producer on the first two films — has announced that a third film is in the works. There is also a National Treasure series in the works at Disney+. The series will star Lisette Alexis as a 20-something DREAMer who sets off on an exciting adventure to find a lost treasure and uncover her family’s secrets along the way. The series will also star Catherine Zeta-Jones.

There is no word on whether Cage will be in National Treasure 3 or if he will make a possible cameo in the National Treasure Disney+ series.