‘National Treasure 3’ In Works, Franchise Director Reveals: “It’s Finally Real”

A third installment of the National Treasure film franchise is officially in development. Director Jon Turteltaub has confirmed that the project is "finally real," announcing the news during a 'National Treasure' Weekend event held in Philadelphia. According to reports from The Hollywood Reporter, the production has already reached a significant milestone as there is currently a script in place for the film. The project marks the return of actor Nicolas Cage to the lead role, although coverage from Yahoo mentions a contradictory report suggesting Cage had previously said no to the project. The news has been widely disseminated across a broad spectrum of media outlets. Industry trade publications including Variety, Deadline, and The Hollywood Reporter were among the first to report on Turteltaub's confirmation.

The story was further amplified by mainstream entertainment sources such as Entertainment Weekly, E! Additionally, various regional news organizations including 9News, WCNC, WTHR, and 10TV have highlighted the official status of the sequel. Gizmodo and Yahoo also tracked the development, emphasizing the director's insistence that the film is actually happening. This development arrives approximately 20 years after the original 2004 Nicolas Cage classic, which Men's Journal notes has been named among the greatest adventure movies of all time. The franchise's history is mixed, however, as The Independent points out that the previous sequel was critically panned. The return to the series represents a revival of the treasure-hunting narrative after a long hiatus.

The level of anticipation is such that IMDb is already analyzing the potential worldwide box office performance and calculating what the sequel would need to earn to cross the $1 billion mark. Moving forward, observers will be looking for further details regarding the production schedule and official casting announcements. While the director has confirmed the existence of a script, coverage does not yet specify the filming start date or the specific plot details. The industry will be monitoring whether the project can avoid the critical reception of the second film while attempting to reach the massive financial milestone of $1 billion in global ticket sales.