Nicolas Cage May Be Allowed In The New National Treasure Sequels After All
Are they making National Treasure without Nicolas Cage? Here's what we've learned.
This article is more than 2 years old
It’s been almost two decades since fans were first introduced to Nicolas Cage’s Benjamin Franklin Gates, a historian and amateur cryptologist searching for lost treasures, in National Treasure. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the action scenes, entertainment value, and acting performances. But the premise and screenplay left a lot of people wanting. However, the film did rather well at the box office, earning $347 million worldwide. So naturally, a sequel with Nicolas Cage returning as the lead was released in 2007. Like its predecessor, National Treasure: Book of Secrets received mediocre reviews, but was a massive box office success, grossing over $459 million globally.
Now, it looks like a third and fourth film are on the cards. The news comes by way of Hollywood insider Daniel Richtman, who says Nicolas Cage will be returning for both movies. According to the insider, Nicolas Cage will also be making a cameo appearance in the National Treasure television series on Disney+. As reported by Deadline, the series will be executive produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, director Jon Turtletaub and writers Marianne and Cormac Wibberley. Earlier reports have made it sound as though Nicolas Cage won’t be in future National Treasure projects, but according to the insider, this news just hasn’t been made public yet.
The 10-episode series will follow Jess Morales, a young DREAMer who takes the torch from Nicolas Cage’s Ben Gates and embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to uncover the truth about her past, her family and save a lost Pan-American treasure. The show is being developed by Disney Branded Television and ABC Signature.
Actress Lisette Alexis (of Total Eclipse fame) will lead the cast as Jess Morales. The character is described as a young Latina with a brilliant and resourceful mind, who loves a good mystery, and has a natural talent for solving puzzles. Throughout the show, Jess will uncover her own buried history, as well as the truth about her parents and her connection to a long-lost treasure. And of course, she will have her diverse group of friends by her side for every adventure. Now, if the insider is right, she’ll also be meeting up with Nicolas Cage’s Benjamin Franklin Gates during some point in the new series.
The National Treasure series will be a third major on-screen credit for Alexis. She recently starred alongside Sierra McCormick in the indie horror film We Need to Do Something, a psychological thriller that sees a young woman trapped with her family after seeking shelter from a tornado. She also co-starred with Mackenzie Ziegler in the 2018 teen dramedy and fantasy web series Total Eclipse, which can be seen on Brat TV’s YouTube channel. There is currently no release date for Disney’s National Treasure series, which is in development.
In the meantime, fans can brush up on all things National Treasure by giving the first two films a rewatch. Released in 2004, the story followed the adventures of Nicolas Cage’s Ben Gates, who attempts to steal the Declaration of Independence to uncover the clues about a mysterious hidden national treasure. It may not be perfect, but it’s filled with action, adventure and is definitely loads of fun.
