National Treasure 3 Is 'Finally Real,' Says Director Jon Turteltaub — With a Hollywood Catch
The hunt is back on. Director Jon Turteltaub announced at a live taping of the National Treasure Hunt podcast in Philadelphia that a third National Treasure movie is in the works, telling the crowd the project is "finally real" — with a caveat. "It's Hollywood real," he said, meaning the film could still shift or stall before cameras roll (The Hollywood Reporter).
The National Treasure films, released by Disney in 2004 and 2007, star Nicolas Cage as Benjamin Franklin Gates, a historian-turned-treasure hunter who steals the Declaration of Independence in the first instalment and kidnaps the US president in the second. Together the two films grossed over $800 million at the worldwide box office. Fans have waited nearly two decades for a third.
Turteltaub's update, delivered on 23 August 2026, carries some weight: the filmmakers now have a script he likes, and he said Disney responded that the project "sounds like a movie we can make" (The Hollywood Reporter). That is a long way from a green light — the point at which a studio commits production budget and a release date — but it is the most concrete signal yet that the franchise is stirring.
Disney declined to comment when The Hollywood Reporter reached out for confirmation (The Hollywood Reporter). No casting has been announced, which means Cage's involvement remains unconfirmed for now, however much audiences might hope.
The franchise did extend to television in 2022 with National Treasure: Edge of History, a Disney+ series set in the same universe, in which Catherine Zeta-Jones played the villain (The Hollywood Reporter). That show ran one season before cancellation.
What "Hollywood real" means in practice is that a liked script and an encouraging studio response are necessary but not sufficient. Projects at this stage can be reshaped by budget negotiations, scheduling conflicts, or a change in studio leadership. They can also move quickly once the pieces align.
For fans, the takeaway is simple: the door is open wider than it has been in years, and the people with the keys are actively pushing on it. Whether it leads to a screen is the part nobody can promise yet.
