According to producer Jerry Bruckheimer, a National Treasure TV show is being developed for Disney+. Released in 2004 and 2007, the first two National Treasure movies were action-adventures that played well with general audiences thanks to a combination of their silly-fun premise (a cross between the Indiana Jones and Robert Langdon series) and Nicolas Cage's performance as historian/treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates (a hero as goofy, yet charming, as his name). The films grossed over $800 million between them on a total $230 million budget, so it's little wonder Disney still wants to make National Treasure 3 a reality.
At the beginning of this year, it was reported Disney has recruited Chris Bremner to write a fresh screenplay for National Treasure 3. The writer's coming off his success crafting another belated third installment in a popular franchise, Bad Boys for Life, but there's no word yet on when that film will be ready to take the next step forward. In the meantime, it appears Disney is working on bringing the National Treasure brand to the small screen.
Speaking to Collider to promote his new Starz series Hightown, Bruckheimer confirmed National Treasure 3 is still moving forward. He also revealed plans for a National Trasure TV show on Disney+, albeit one which will feature "a much younger cast" than the films. It sounds like the TV series is further along right now, as Bruckheimer mentioned "We have a pilot script done and an outline of the future episodes.”
Frankly, a National Treasure TV show without Cage doesn't sound all that great. The eccentric actor was a big part of what made the first two movies fun and more than just a Disney-fied cross between Indiana Jones and The Da Vinci Code. Then again, it's possible the plan is for Cage as Gates to mentor the younger heroes of the National Treasure TV show. The Disney+ Mighty Ducks series is doing something similar by having Emilio Estevez reprise his role as Coach Bombay from the movies, yet focusing on a new generation of characters. A TV show where Cage plays the crusty teacher guiding a bunch of wannabe treasure-hunters not only sounds like a hoot, it would also have something to offer viewers of different ages and not just kids.
Interestingly, it was recently revealed Cage is planning to branch out into television by playing Joe Exotic in a dramatic show inspired by the success of Netflix's smash-hit docuseries Tiger King. If so, he's presumably open to reprising his National Treasure character in a Disney+ show too, especially if the Mouse House is planning some kind of crossover between the series and National Treasure 3. If nothing else, the idea of a National Treasure shared universe shouldn't be dismissed out of hand in this day and age.
Source: Collider