National Treasure: Edge Of History

When the Nicolas Cage blockbuster National Treasure came out in 2004, it was an instant favorite, and such is its popularity that even today fans keep yearning for a third film in the series. While that may take some time, there was something else to be stoked about — a new National Treasure series that came to Disney+!

So, if watching Ben Gates carrying out an incredible heist in the films is still your number one favorite, then you were ready to watch a fresh set of adventures set around the same theme.

The only thing missing (that would have made this one mega-amazing news) was the lack of Nicolas Cage as the lead character. But it wasn’t all good news with the National Treasure series Edge of History on the streamer.

NATIONAL TREASURE: EDGE OF HISTORY WAS CANCELED AFTER ONE SEASON

The old one and done. What a shame. National Treasure: Edge of History lasted exactly one season on Disney+ and that was it. It didn’t appear to be an overall lack of interest either. It was in the top-1o in streaming offerings during its first week after release. There appeared, at least at first, to be an audience for this.

But critics were a bit harsh with the final product. It scored 38 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and there wasn’t a groundswell of support from that side of the aisle.

NICOLAS CAGE WASN’T IN THE NATIONAL TREASURE SERIES SEASON 1, BUT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN SEASON 2

In January 2022, news broke that the principal cast for the upcoming National Treasure series was announced, without Nicolas Cage’s name. That wasn’t all that surprising considering how big of a name Cage is at this point and how the reboot series was looking to spark a new world for the franchise.

That being said, there were ties to the original movie here and we did have word from a Giant Freakin Robot exclusive that he would be coming into the mix for Season 2. It was an exciting prospect to see how Cage’s Ben Gates would be part of this world.

It wasn’t clear exactly how he would have worked into things, but at this point, it isn’t happening obviously

THE NATIONAL TREASURE SERIES WAS LED BY LISETTE ALEXIS

Leading the cast was Lisette Alexis Olivera (Total Eclipse) as the brilliant puzzle solver Jess Valenzuela. Lyndon Smith (Parenthood) was a disgraced FBI Agent Ross, Zuri Reed (The Get Down) was social media celebrity Tasha, Jason Rodrigues (Lady Bird) plays Jess’ best friend Ethan, Antonio Cipriano (City on a Hill) is a goofball conspiracy theorist.

And finally, there’s Jake Austin Walker (Stargirl) who played Liam, a musician struggling to make ends meet, and whose bloodline has included plenty of treasure hunters.

THE SERIES IS THE EDGE OF HISTORY AND FOLLOWED JESS VALENZUELA

As far as the plot goes, the series focused on a younger generation of treasure hunters. In it, Jess and other treasure hunters (in the modern day) are trying to unravel a mystery, one that is actually tied to her deceased father.

Her father had been hunting a similar treasure and his death is tied to finding it. In this, she and the rest of the crack team are on the hunt for not only the prize, but an answer to what’s happened in the past.

THE ORIGINAL NATIONAL TREASURE IS ABOUT A CRYPTOLOGIST

The first two National Treasure films featured the character of Ben Gates, played by Nicolas Cage, an amateur cryptologist who comes from a family of treasure hunters. His mission is to search for a massive national treasure and important documents like the Declaration of Independence that carry crucial clues leading to it, in order to protect it from being stolen by thieves. 

NATIONAL TREASURE 3 IS ALSO IN THE WORKS

Take a breather National Treasure fans, as Nicolas Cage is not bidding farewell to the franchise. While the National Treasure series on Disney+ is all set to follow a different trajectory, the film series will continue with the original story and the original cast!

The plans for a third National Treasure film have been discussed since 2008 but it was only in September 2017, that producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed that a script for the film has been completed. But then Disney was not satisfied with the script and was not on board with National Treasure 3. 

After spending years in development hell, the year 2020 saw some major progress in the film’s planning. In January 2020, it was announced that a third film was officially in development and Chris Bremner will be penning the script. Bruckheimer has also assured that the original cast from the prior films is going to reprise their roles, which means Nicolas Cage is returning as badass historian Ben Gates.

In fact, series producer Bruckheimer even told Collider in May last year that a third National Treasure “is being written right now.” As per recent reports, National Treasure 3 is currently undergoing production with the original cast which includes, Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Jon Voight, Helen Mirren, and the rest of the actors from the first two films.

THE NATIONAL TREASURE SERIES RELEASED DECEMBER 14, 2022 ON DISNEY+

Fans of the National Treasure franchise didn’t have to wait any longer to see this new installment of the adventure-filled series. National Treasure: Edge of History premiered on December 14, 2022 on Disney+.

But again, that’s all anyone got and this story as (at least for now) come to a close.