MOVIE NEWS – National Treasure 3 has been stuck in development hell for years, but screenwriter Ted Elliot has just provided the biggest update yet. Released 20 years ago in 2004, National Treasure starred Nicolas Cage as Benjamin Gates, a history enthusiast turned treasure hunter on a mission to steal the Declaration of Independence. Despite mixed reviews, both National Treasure and its sequel, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, have developed a dedicated following, with fans eagerly awaiting a third installment to resolve the biggest mystery of the second film.

Appearing on the National Treasure Hunt podcast, Ted Elliot shared significant details about the third installment. The screenwriter confirmed that the first draft of the script is complete. News surrounding National Treasure 3 has been mixed, but Elliot’s reveal confirms that it is finally happening. Elliot also discussed the direction of the third installment and how characters will interact after the long gap between movies. He explained:

“In terms of writing the third movie, there is, I think, a change to Ben and Riley’s inner relationship that I think both actors will really enjoy…Riley has changed more [than anybody else.] If you just look at the two points that are established for him in the first and second movies. In the first one, he is the uninformed audience. […] That’s the role he plays. He’s the guy who says, ‘What are you talking about there?’ In the second one he’s written a book about cryptohistory. And he’s right! He knows something Ben didn’t know about history. I just have to think that that’s continued. It becomes more difficult to do the history exposition because […] there are things [Riley] can know now.”

Elliot’s reveal aligns with previous comments from producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Speaking to MovieWeb earlier this year, Bruckheimer said:

“Well, we hope there’s a National Treasure 3. We’ve been working on it for quite a while. We have a brilliant writer working on it right now, so hopefully, if we get a script in a timely fashion, we’ll send it to Nic [Cage], and if he likes it, we’ll make another one. We certainly would like to.”

The Disney+ National Treasure TV Show Is Canon

While National Treasure fans have waited 17 years for the next cinematic release, they have been treated to some treasure hunting adventures on the small screen. National Treasure: Edge of History was a Disney+ series released in 2022, following Jess (Lisette Olivera) as she explored her family’s mysterious history. Unfortunately, the show received poor reviews from critics and fans and was canceled after one season. Many fans believe the show shouldn’t be canon, but Elliot disagrees. The screenwriter confirmed he’s incorporated aspects from the series and revealed the fate of one of its major characters. He explained:

“Agent Sudusky is dead. I’m treating the TV series as canon […] I’m trying to do something different with the FBI than was done in the previous two movies. There’s still the pursuers, there’s still the force for law and order, but just the way they operate I’m trying to do something just a little bit different.”

It certainly sounds like development is finally moving steadily for National Treasure 3. The original cast, including Diane Kruger and Justin Bartha, alongside Cage, have constantly gone back and forth about whether they would star in the movie over the last few years. However, director Jon Turteltaub confirmed earlier this year that all the principal actors from National Treasure 2 will be returning to round out the trilogy.

Source: MovieWeb