Nicolas Cage and His Quests for Treasures and Adventures

In 2004, the first installment of the “National Treasure” series hit theaters, capturing the hearts of treasure-hunting film enthusiasts. The article below will introduce the individual films, the series, and the books that belong to this franchise.

The film “National Treasure,” directed by Jon Turteltaub, tells the story of adventurer Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage), who embarks on a quest for treasure based on a clue given by Charles Carroll to his ancestor in 1832. Ben collaborates in his search with his friend Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) and Ian Howe (Sean Bean), who finances the expedition.

However, Ian Howe betrays the friends, and they are forced to continue the search on their own. One of the clues to the treasure is found on the Declaration of Independence, which Benjamin eventually acquires, also meeting Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger) in the process. The group gradually uncovers clues to the treasure located on the steeple of Independence Hall, Trinity Church, and the Old North Church in Boston. Ian Howe and his people, however, are still hot on their trail.

The continuation of the original film begins with an accusation against Benjamin Franklin Gates’ ancestor, Thomas Gates, alleging his involvement in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Ben and his father, Patrick (Jon Voight), aim to refute this accusation, aided by a word associated with a cipher that Thomas Gates decoded for John Wilkes Booth and Michael O’Laughlen before his death.

Benjamin, along with Riley Poole, embarks on a quest that takes them to Paris and London, where they are joined by Abigail Chase. However, they are pursued by Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris), who triggered the entire investigation with his accusation. The hero’s adventure brings them back to America, where a clue on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office leads them to a secret diary of American presidents.

In pursuit of further clues, Ben even briefly captures the American president (Bruce Greenwood) . The film concludes at Mount Rushmore, where a massive treasure is hidden. Ben clears his ancestor’s name by revealing that the cipher was not related to the assassination but to the discovery of the treasure.

In May 2008, Jon Turteltaub mentioned considering another installment. In September of that year, producer Jerry Bruckheimer officially confirmed the work on a new film, but subsequent reports spoke of issues with the screenplay. In April 2022, Nicolas Cage spoke about the film being delayed due to shooting the original films’ follow-up series. The latest update is from August 2022 when Bruckheimer announced the completion of the screenplay and its submission to Cage.

“National Treasure: Edge of History” aired from 2022 to 2023 on Disney+. It follows the original films and features main characters portrayed by actors such as Lisette Olivera (Jess Valenzuela), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Billie Pearce), and Lyndon Smith (Agent Ross). The series also includes appearances by Justin Bartha and Harvey Keitel, reprising their roles from the films. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, the series comprised 10 episodes, but it was discontinued after the first season.

In 2007, a literary adaptation titled “National Treasure: Edge of History” was released, containing slight differences from the film. Catherine Hapka published a series of novels about the ancestors of Benjamin Franklin Gates through Disney Press.

Over the years, various contributions have been made to the “National Treasure” series. Hopefully, all will go well, and even after long delays, the third film with Nicolas Cage in the lead role will be produced.

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