Thinking back, I really can’t remember much about the National Treasure movies. I know I’ve watched them and I remember them being harmless popcorn fun, and that they starred Nicolas Cage – that’s it. In my defense it has been well over a decade since we saw the last one, National Treasure: Book of Secrets way back in 2007.
For those who don’t know, or don’t remember, the movies saw Cage portraying the amusingly-named Benjamin Franklin Gates, a historian/treasure hunter tracking down relics from America’s past and getting into adventures along the way.
Since then there’s been talk of a third installment in the franchise, but in all those years it’s never gotten past the script stage. That’s rather ironic considering there’ve been four spin-off novels, under the Gates Family Mystery series, published since then. However it looks like things are in motion again, and moving in a surprising direction too.
Mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer (who produced the original movies) has been out doing the press rounds for his upcoming Starz series Hightown, and during interviews Collider took the time to ask him for an update on the long-gestating project – and he dropped an unexpected nugget of info:
“We’re certainly working on one [National Treasure] for streaming and we’re working on one for the big screen. Hopefully, they’ll both come together and we’ll bring you another National Treasure, but they’re both very active….The one for Disney+ is a much younger cast. It’s the same concept but a young cast. The one for theatrical would be the same cast.”
“The film version is being written right now. The television version is in process. We have a pilot script done and an outline of the future episodes.”
Well, hello! A light-hearted adventures series based on the franchise with a young cast? Two words instantly popped into my head – The Goonies. Of course we have no idea if that’s the direction they’re thinking of going, but something like that could be a surefire hit for Disney+ if done right.
Last Updated: May 8, 2020
Original Heretic
May 8, 2020 at 17:02
I loved these movies.
Mysteries from yesteryear are most intriguing to me.
Kervyn Cloete
May 11, 2020 at 11:44
So I rewatched National Treasure on Friday. I bought both movies when they were on special on Takealot a number of years ago and they were still wrapped in plastic in my DVD drawer, so I don’t think I’ve seen it since original release on cinema. And I really enjoyed it!
Cage is surprisingly more subdued in the role than I remember, and shows some great comic timing. And it just moves!
And historical mysteries will always appeal to me (hence why I have a bookshelf of Dan Brown books).
Original Heretic
May 11, 2020 at 13:30
I was always disappointed that we never got a sequel, especially after that tease at the end of 2.
Cage was downright charismatic in these movies! It was like he actually enjoyed his role and took it very seriously.
Original Heretic
May 11, 2020 at 18:33
How did I not see the parentheses earlier…?
Reading ONE Dan Brown book is all well and good. I mean, I was also curious about all the fuss.
But after slogging through that writing? Ugh, man, I couldn’t bring myself to pick another one up.
It’s like he tried to roll boxes down a hill and decided to adapt that same style to his writing.
Jawaka99
May 10, 2020 at 20:00
“The one for Disney+ is a much younger cast. It’s the same concept but a
young cast. The one for theatrical would be the same cast.”
Pass. IMO most movies that I’m expected to take serious are hard to do so when the lead characters are kids.