Nicolas Cage Replaced as Lead of ‘National Treasure’ Franchise

Instead of giving fans the long-awaited third National Treasure movie, Disney is developing a National Treasure television series for Disney+. The project will star Lisette Alexis, who starred in the Brat on YouTube series Total Eclipse, in the leading role. While many members of the National Treasure team are working on the show behind-the-scenes, Nicholas Cage is not involved.

Alexis was cast as Jess, a brilliant and resourceful young woman who loves mysteries and has a natural talent for solving puzzles. During the show, Jess will also learn more about her own history and the truth behind her parents’ connection to a long-lost treasure, reports Deadline. Marianne and Cormac Wibberley, who co-wrote the original films, will write the pilot. Mira Nair (Queen of Katwe) is directing.

National Treasure producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Jon Turteltaub, the Wibberlys, and Jerry Bruckheimer Television’s Jonathan Littman and KristieAnne Reed are executive producers on the show. Rick Muirragui (Suits) is also an executive producer and writer. Filming is set to start early next year.

Cage starred as treasure hunter Benjamin Gates in the first National Treasure, which hit theaters in November 2004 and grossed over $347 million worldwide. It centered on Gates’ search for treasure hidden by the Freemasons during the Revolutionary War, using a map printed on the back of the Declaration of Independence. Cage returned to the role in National Treasure: Book of Secrets in 2007.

Although the second movie was a big hit too, a third movie has yet to materialize. After years of being stuck in development, Variety reported in January 2020 that Chris Bremner (Bad Boys For Life) was hired to write the script and Bruckheimer will produce.There have been no new developments on the project since then.

In July, Cage told Variety he isn’t interested in making another big-budget Disney movie. Instead, he now enjoys making small indie projects, like this year’s acclaimed Pig. “I do feel that I’ve gone into my own wilderness and that I’ve left the small town that is Hollywood,” Cage said. “I don’t know exactly why Rob left his stardom. It’s never fully explained, and I like that about the movie. But as for me, I don’t know if I’d want to go back. I don’t know if I’d want to go and make another Disney movie. It would be terrifying. It’s a whole different climate. There’s a lot of fear there.”