Nicolas Cage Officially Clarifies National Treasure 3 Return After Director’s Bold Statement

Oct 11, 2026 - 01:05

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Nicolas Cage Officially Clarifies National Treasure 3 Return After Director’s Bold Statement

Published Oct 10, 2026, 5:36 PM EDT

Jennifer is a TV and Movie News Editor at ScreenRant. She started her journey in entertainment media in 2022 when she first joined Valnet at CBR before coming to ScreenRant.

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This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.

Nicolas Cage finally speaks up about National Treasure 3.

Disney's National Treasure franchise began with the 2004 film National Treasure, starring Cage as Benjamin Franklin Gates. Three years later, the 2007 sequel National Treasure: Book of Secrets was released. Both movies follow Gates and his allies as they investigate historical clues while searching for legendary treasures. The franchise also features a series of prequel novels about earlier generations of the Gates family.

Viewers who loved National Treasure have spent nearly two decades hoping Cage would return as Gates for another adventure. However, despite recent excitement and rumors surrounding a third installment, the actor has made it clear that his involvement is nowhere near a sure thing.

At New York Comic Con 2026, Cage addressed comments made by franchise director Jon Turteltaub, who previously implied that National Treasure 3 was moving forward with the actor reprising his iconic role. While his announcement gave longtime fans some hope at the time, Cage has sadly offered a less optimistic update about the sequel, revealing that he has not officially committed to the project.

Cage further elaborated on his return to the Disney adventure franchise, lightheartedly expressing some frustration with how the news had been presented. The actor jokingly criticized Turteltaub for publicly discussing his participation before an agreement had been made, implying that directors sometimes get carried away when sharing exciting developments with audiences.

The statement Cage was referring to occurred during Turteltaub's appearance at an event in Philadelphia, where the director enthusiastically discussed plans for the sequel. He also revealed that the original star would be involved. However, according to Cage, those statements weren't entirely true, as he hadn't officially agreed to return to the National Treasure franchise.

Although he did not confirm that he would sign on for National Treasure 3, fans shouldn't lose hope quite yet. While Cage said that he has not decided whether he would return, he also did not completely shut down the possibility of coming back for a sequel, leaving the door open for both himself and the iconic franchise.

More to come...