National Treasure 3: Film series starring Nicolas Cage is set to continue

The wait is over: "National Treasure 3" is in the works. The third installment of the film series starring Nicolas Cage has now been announced by director Jon Turteltaub. The filmmaker directed the first two films. A potential third installment has been rumored on and off since 2008. Now, at the National Treasure Weekend in Philadelphia, Turteltaub spoke about the current status of the project. He revealed to a surprised audience:

"It's happening. You're the first people I've said this out loud to. I have not said anything before this, but you deserve to have the scoop. It's finally real. Now, it's 'Hollywood real,' meaning things could happen. Nic [Cage] gets hit by a bus, there's no 'National Treasure 3'. If I get hit by a bus, there's probably a 'National Treasure 3'. Welcome to Hollywood."

You can watch how Turteltaub announces "National Treasure 3" and elicits enthusiastic reactions from the audience in the following social media clip:

Political aspect in National Treasure 3

According to the director, there's already a script that both he and Disney like, as reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer. As for the cast, there haven't been any concrete announcements yet. But according to Turteltaub, they want to bring back as many stars as possible – including Nicolas Cage. As for the story of the new installment, the filmmaker is keeping his cards close to his chest. He did, however, speak about how people, because of the internet, tend to politicize things and take sides – and that's something that will play a role in the third film. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, he added:

"We have to be very careful, but I don't feel we are allowed to ignore it. I think we have to include that idea in the story somehow without making someone feel put off."

In the original "National Treasure", Nicolas Cage plays historian Benjamin Franklin Gates, who sets out with a few allies to search for a lost Freemason treasure. The action-adventure film was released in 2004 and grossed $347 million at the global box office. Three years later, the sequel "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" followed, grossing $459 million. Both films were directed by Jon Turteltaub, who also served as producer alongside Jerry Bruckheimer. In addition to Cage, the star-studded cast included Harvey Keitel, Jon Voight, Diane Kruger, and Justin Bartha.

Nicolas Cage faces off against cannibals

Nicolas Cage was most recently seen in "Spider-Noir." In the new Prime Video series, he plays an alternate version of Spider-Man. The story is still set in New York – though the plot has been moved from the present day to the 1930s. The protagonist isn't Peter Parker, but Ben Reilly, an aging private investigator who once fought crime as the masked superhero The Spider. After a personal tragedy, he gave it all up, but then finds himself forced to return to action. You can get a glimpse of "Spider-Noir" in the trailer:

A few days ago, Cage was linked to a new film. The actor is set to star in the post-apocalyptic thriller "Parish," as reported by Deadline. The story takes place 30 years after a nuclear disaster. Cage is set to play the survivor Parish, who suddenly finds himself facing a problem. A desperate woman shows up at his hideout with an infant – which has life-threatening consequences. Parish finds himself in the crosshairs of a brutal band of cannibals. A relentless fight for survival ensues. Screenwriter and director Adam Sigal is behind the movie. Filming is set to start in Minnesota in October. We're curious to see if Cage will tackle "National Treasure 3" after that.