National Treasure 3is needed more than ever after the cancelation ofNational Treasure: Edge of History. The franchise’s last movie was released in 2007 and set upNational Treasure 3by teasing the mysterious contents on page 47 of the United States presidents' book of secrets. Despite this setup for a direct sequel, the franchise remained dormant for the next 15 years, untila spinoff series,National Treasure: Edge of History, debuted on Disney+ in 2022.
WhileEdge of Historydid feature connections to the movies and saw some of the original cast members reprising their roles, including Justin Bartha’s Riley Poole and Harvey Keitel’s Agent Peter Sadusky, the series proved to not be as popular, and was canceled after one season. 17 years afterNational Treasure: Book of Secrets,the enticing page 47National Treasurecliffhangerremains unaddressed, as does the opportunity to see Nicolas Cage play Benjamin Franklin Gates again.It would have been better for the franchise if it had proceeded withNational Treasure 3beforeEdge of History.
Sean Bean’s National Treasure 3 Return Would Be The Perfect Way To Get The Ball Rolling Again
After all these years, National Treasure 3 needs a nostalgic hook to get audiences back on board, and Sean Bean’s villain would be just the thing.
National Treasure 3 Should’ve Been Disney’s Priority, Not A TV Show
The Third Movie Would’ve Made More Sense For The Franchise
Given Cage’s ongoing popularity and the enduring reputation of the originalNational Treasuremovies, Disney should have madeNational Treasure 3a priority. The nostalgia of seeing Cage, Bartha, and Diane Kruger as Dr. Abigail Chase reunited on a new treasure hunting adventure would be enough to create significant interest in the movie.The franchise’s previous theatrical installments both did well at the box officeand the third one likely would have followed suit as Cage’s star power revived the series and finally answered the page 47 mystery.
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National Treasureand its sequelfound success as theatrical movies and this is the medium that the franchise should have stayed in instead of pivoting to a streaming series. Disney made the mistake of trying to turn too many of their intellectual properties intoDisney+ streaming shows,even though some of them, includingNational Treasure, work better as movies.Disney’s excessive streaming pivot was partly exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, when the future of theatrical movies remained uncertain, but it was a change that did not work forNational Treasure.
Why National Treasure: Edge Of History Didn’t Work
The Series Was Missing The Movies' Best Elements
National Treasure: Edge of History’s problems began with it lacking the same sense of fun adventurethat the movies featured. Many critics took issue with the lack of actual treasure hunting and puzzle solving and that some of the clues that did exist were not as compelling as those in the movies. This issue was further amplified over the course of ten episodes, in which the series struggled to maintain the consistently engaging, fast pace present in the movies.
National Treasure: Edge of Historyreceived a 38% critical score and 49% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Edge of Historyalso struggled to find the right balance between blending new and old elements. Despite Cage and most of the other original cast members not appearing in the series, at times, the series felt as if it was leaning too heavily on the events from the previous movies while underdeveloping the new avenues being explored. This made it more difficult forEdge of Historyto become its own story while also failing to capture what the movies loved in the first place, andit only made Cage’s absence more noticeable.
There Is One Way Edge Of History Has Helped National Treasure 3
Edge Of History’s Characters Can Return
Edge of History’s characters were one of the stronger aspects of the series and could potentially appear inNational Treasure 3. Screenwriter Ted Elliot, who is writingNational Treasure 3’s script, says he is treatingEdge of Historyas canon, which includes Agent Sadusky being dead.Not only areEdge of History’s characters connected to the deceased Sadusky, but they have also met Riley, who attended Sadusky’s wake and helped them solve an important clue.
National Treasure 3’s main characters should still be Ben, Riley, and Abigail, butEdge of History’s characters could have supporting roles that can follow up on their unfinished storylines. This can help tie the movies and the television series together and make the franchise feel more cohesive than it did duringEdge of History.National Treasure 3should take the best aspects of the previous movies and the streaming series to make the next long-awaited chapter feel truly rewarding.
National Treasure 3 Canon Update Makes Spinoff With 38% On Rotten Tomatoes A Must-Watch
National Treasure 3 is an exciting legacy sequel thanks to the previous movies, but the project is also incorporating another aspect of the franchise.
What’s Known About A Potential National Treasure 3
Talk Of Making National Treasure A Trilogy Is Ongoing
The continued popularity ofNational Treasure(despite the failure ofNational Treasure: Edge Of History) means that a sequel toNational Treasure 2is still possible, even though it’s been almost two decades since 2007 when it hit theaters. Thefirst mentions ofNational Treasure 3came in 2008, which is when Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed a sequel was in development with a script being written. However, this version of the film became mired in development hell, and it seems a fresher attempt is being made at a newNational Treasuremovie.
It was announced in 2020(viaTHR)that development onNational Treasure 3had started again.Bruckheimer was still involved, and revealed that Chris Bremner was on screenwriting duties. However, this project was again delayed, with efforts instead going toward theNational TreasureTV series which would eventually becomeNational Treasure: Edge of History.Bruckheimer mentioned that a script had been completed in 2022, but there was very little info beyond this.
There has been little concrete new over the years since.The most recent mention ofNational Treasure 3came in March 2024 when Nicolas Cage dashed many hopes of him returning.At time of writing,National Treasure 3continues to be delayed, with news on its development still being minimal. However, there’s not been any news to suggest Disney has canceled the thirdNational Treasuremovie, either. It could still materialize yet, even though it may be a gap similar to that ofTop GunandTop Gun: Maverick.
National Treasure
The National Treasure franchise follows the adventures of Benjamin Franklin Gates, a historian and amateur cryptologist, as he uncovers hidden treasures linked to American history. The series combines historical myths and legends with action-adventure elements, leading Gates on thrilling treasure hunts across various significant landmarks.
