Nicolas Cage is reportedly in talks to return as Benjamin Gates for a new National Treasure sequel, 15 years after he last appeared.
Nicolas Cage is reportedly in talks to return for a new one National treasure sequel as Benjamin Gates. Disney launched the National treasure franchise in 2004 with the release of the first film starring Nicolas Cage. The film followed his character Benjamin Gates as he traveled the world in search of hidden treasures related to world history. While the National treasure films were not well received critically, they were huge blockbusters for the studio. It’s been 15 years though National Treasure: Book of Secrets hit theaters and the public got the chance to see Nicolas Cage as part of the franchise.
Disney has spent the past decade trying to figure out what to do with the National treasure franchisee. Plan for National Treasure 3 with Nicolas Cage failed to gain real momentum over the years. The launch of Disney+ gave the studio another chance to use the IP, with National treasure: edge of history coming to Disney’s streaming service in December 2022. While the series is a soft-reboot of the movie franchise, it does feature the return of Justin Bartha as Riley Poole. Since then, there has been hope that Nicolas Cage could return as Benjamin Gates for another National treasure adventure as a result.
According to a new report from THRNicolas Cages National treasure return could happen. The outlet reports that Cage has arrived “different stages of discussions” for a National treasure continued return. It is not confirmed whether the new project will be National Treasure 3 or a potential return as part of National treasure: edge of history. All that is known at the moment is that Nicolas Cage is talking to Disney about a role in another National treasure continuation.
Why National Treasure 3 took so long
Disney has evolved National Treasure 3 since 2007, but reports that Cage is in talks to return, one of the first real signs of a sequel. The long wait between sequels has left many confused, leading to just about everyone involved with the franchise sharing their reasons behind the delays. Nicolas Cage has previously attributed National Treasure 3 doesn’t happen due to disappointing box office broadcasts for other films in which he starred. Now that the actor is back on the rise thanks to movies like Pig or The unbearable weight of enormous talentthat could be why Disney is now trying to get him back as Benjamin Gates.
Any plans for Nicolas Cage to return to National treasure however, it may be a few more years before it becomes a reality. Unless he makes a surprising cameo in the National treasure Disney+ show, audience will have to wait for a second season or National Treasure 3 to see him again. The movie sequel has still not been officially announced, even though the script got a positive update a few months ago. Disney will need at least two more years to make Nicolas Cage’s National treasure continued from the moment he signs up, so hopefully the discussions won’t end too long.
Source: THR