National Treasure Star Nicolas Cage "Kind of Amazed" Disney Hasn't Made Third Film

Nicolas Cage is an Oscar-winning actor known for an array of films, but many Disney fans know him best as Benjamin Franklin Gates from National Treasure (2004) and National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007). Disney+ recently rebooted the franchise with a new series, National Treasure: Edge of History, but the show never featured an appearance by Cage, and it was canceled after one season. For over a decade, fans have been asking for a third National Treasure film, and it seems like Cage is open to the idea. In fact, he recently spoke with Deadline and revealed he's surprised Disney hasn't greenlit another movie. 

"Yeah, well, they're a lot of fun," Cage said of making the National Treasure films. "I mean, I enjoy them too, and I think Jon Turteltaub made a couple of classic films for the whole family. I'm still kind of amazed that Disney hasn't wanted to make a third one. I thought the movies brought a lot of joy to the public, and it's certainly interesting about history, and I think all of that is worthwhile filmmaking. You can dig deep and go into the more abstract stuff, like Bringing out the Dead, or Pig or even Dream Scenario, or you can open it up and make a movie that pleases a lot of people and hopefully gives families a chance to escape a little bit from whatever may be going on at home or in the office. I think they're all valid."

Nic Cage Reveals National Treasure Line That Still Makes Him Laugh: 

In another recent interview with Variety, Cage admitted that he still can't say the line, "I'm gonna steal the Declaration of Independence," without laughing. 

"How do you take something that is so profoundly ridiculous and really try to sell it?" Cage asked. "What I really like about that scene just seeing it again for the first time in however many years is I like the positivity of the character. He really believes this. He really reveres it. I think that's charming."

"I can't even say it without laughing," Cage added. "It has been meme'd so many times. It has been 'SNL'd.' But you can't help but laugh! I think what makes it work is how serious Justin [Bartha] and I are taking it. If you play it for laughs, then it's screwball comedy and it's stupid and it's not my thing. That's not where I'm at. The fact that we'd played it as dramatic actors makes it even more funny than it might've been if it was slapstick.....I think Jon Turteltaub shot it lovingly. He made the characters look like they had great reverence and regard [for it] ... like a holy object. But to punch it with 'I'm going to steal it' is so ridiculous you just can't help but love it. It's nice to see that scene again."

Would you like to see another National Treasure movie? Tell us in the comments!