It’s been more than a decade since Benjamin Franklin Gates and company found Cíbola. Suffice to say, fans (me, loudly) are clamoring for another adventure. But while rumblings of a third installment in the history-buff adventure franchise set my heart aflutter back in January, Jerry Bruckheimer is here to spread the good news. In a recent interview with Collider, the producer revealed there are two National Treasure projects currently in the works.
The first is, of course, confirmation of the much-awaited National Treasure 3 film, scripted by Bad Boys for Life writer Chris Bremmer. But the second is a series for Disney+, which would feature a younger cast. Bruckheimer told Collider, “We’re certainly working on one for streaming and we’re working on one for the big screen. Hopefully, they’ll both come together and we’ll bring you another National Treasure, but they’re both very active….The one for Disney+ is a much younger cast. It’s the same concept but a young cast. The one for theatrical would be the same cast.”
Disney
He added, “The film version is being written right now. The television version is in process. We have a pilot script done and an outline of the future episodes.”
It seems both projects are still too early in development to reveal any major details. But his comments on National Treasure 3 suggests the entire original cast will be back. So right off the bat we know National Treasure 3 will see Nicolas Cage, Justin Bartha, Diane Kruger, and a currently-unknown villain trapped in a newly-discovered treasure room somewhere underneath continental U.S. (At least, as National Treasure‘s history would suggest.)
Disney
Meanwhile, it’ll definitely be interesting to see what the Disney+ TV series looks like. As Bruckheimer didn’t reveal anything specific about the series, other than its younger cast, the possibilities are endless. Will the series go a young Indiana Jones route? Or follow in the footsteps of Cartoon Network’s Unnatural History? One major question is the series’ association with the film franchise. It’s hard to imagine a version entirely devoid of Ben, Riley, and Abigail—especially given the winning combination of the franchise’s innate goofiness and Cage’s own eccentricities.
Regardless, we’re excited to see how the series shapes up. It’s an exciting way to learn about history—if through a more conspiratorial lens—and one the next generation will be lucky to have.
Header Image: Disney
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