National Treasure’s Reboot Can’t Work Without Nicolas Cage

Disney+ is officially bringing back the long-dormant National Treasure franchise, but a reboot without the involvement of Nicolas Cage is a crucial mistake the studio needs to avoid. Disney has given the green light to a 10-episode series reimagining the historical treasure hunting property made famous by Cage and a deep ensemble cast in the mid-2000s. The reboot is not expected to feature the franchise’s biggest star, and will instead give rise to a younger, more diverse cast than its film predecessors. Lisette Alexis will be stepping into the role of the new main character, Jess Morales, a 20-year-old DREAMer intent on uncovering her mysterious family history in pursuit of lost treasure. In a proverbial passing of the torch, Alexis will take the reins from Cage who starred as historian, treasure hunter, and cryptologist Benjamin Franklin Gates in National Treasure and National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets.

The original National Treasure, a deliberately campy action-adventure film, was released by Walt Disney Pictures in 2004. Also featuring Harvey Keitel, Jon Voight, Diane Kruger, Sean Bean, Justin Bartha, and Christopher Plummer, National Treasure centers its storyline around Gates, who hails from a long line of treasure hunters, as he pieces together clues along with wise-cracking sidekick Riley (Justin Bartha) in search of lost treasure and historic artifacts hidden away by American Freemasons during the American Revolutionary War. More entertaining than historically accurate, National Treasure received mixed reviews but enjoyed commercial success, grossing $347 million worldwide. Critics were even more divided on the sequel, National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets, which nevertheless surpassed expectations generating a whopping $455 million at the box office in 2007.

The Disney+ reboot of National Treasure can’t properly work without Nicolas Cage. Introducing the popular franchise to a new, younger generation is a perceptive idea, but the television reboot needs Cage’s influence to survive, as the actor is easily the most identifying and important aspect of the original films. A National Treasure reboot without Cage in the role of Ben Gates simply won’t work, in the same way that an Indiana Jones reboot without Harrison Ford would always have the iconic actor’s shadow hanging over the entire production. Fortunately for fans of the Indiana Jones franchise, Ford is reprising his role for the 2023 film, and that’s something Disney should consider with their upcoming National Treasure series.

In today’s requel era, it is a mistake to leave out the original hero and expect the series to work based on the name brand alone. An Academy Award-winning actor for his role of Ben Sanderson in Leaving Las Vegas (1995) and known for starring in big-budget summer blockbusters, Cage brings a charismatic intensity to all the characters he portrays, making it nearly impossible to find him anything but entertaining regardless of how campy or bizarre the role. Equally at home moving between genres, styles, and accents, Cage is more than an actor—he is a performer with his own brand of gusto.

Clearly, the creators behind the National Treasure franchise are homed in on what their target audience craves. With original producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Jon Turtletaub, and writers Cormac and Marianne Wibberley on board for the new series, continuity in the storytelling is likely to transfer to the new spinoff, which will see Jess seeking to uncover the truth about her family’s past and save a lost Pan-American treasure. Judging by that plotline, Cage’s Ben Gates is an ideal mentor for the up-and-coming treasure hunter. Without Cage and his magnetic screen presence, however, even the most amusing of far-fetched stories will be less compelling.

While it remains to be seen whether Cage will make an appearance in Disney+’s National Treasure series, which is slated to begin filming in 2022, there is a possible upshot for Cage’s fans and devotees of the franchise. The long-awaited National Treasure 3 has been discussed since 2008, and was stuck in various forms of developmental hell until Bruckheimer confirmed its ongoing status in 2020, alongside an announcement of the Disney+ television series. While the upcoming TV spinoff is further in development at this point, hopefully, the success of this new Disney+ venture will reignite audience interest in Cage returning for a third installment in the family-friendly film franchise—one that could potentially even feature Lisette Alexis teaming up with Cage on his biggest adventure yet.

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