The road to “National Treasure 3” has been nothing short of complicated. But while Nicholas Cage now seems to be done with the franchise, it’s entirely possible that a third movie could see the light of day — just without its lead star. In 2022, the studio decided to take the franchise in a new direction by giving it the Disney+ treatment, debuting “National Treasure: Edge of History.”
Set after the events of the films, “Edge of History” followed the exploits of a new generation of treasure hunters, with star Lyndon Smith saying the series was an expansion, rather than a reboot. The show also featured returning characters from the films like Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) and FBI agent Peter Sadusky (Harvey Keitel). But Cage’s character, Ben Gates, didn’t pop up, which was surprising considering that Cage wants to quit movies and star in TV shows. Unfortunately, “Edge of History” was not seen as a worthy follow-up to the films, and canceled after one season.
Now, the future of the “National Treasure” series is stuck in limbo. Back in 2022, producer Jerry Bruckheimer was notably excited about the possible threequel, saying at the time that the script was going to be sent to Cage for approval. But based on the actor’s latest comments, it’s unclear whether Cage isn’t willing to move forward with the franchise, or if it’s Disney that’s shut it down.
