The National Treasure franchise consists of American historical fiction action-adventures, including two released theatrical films, a prequel book series, and a television series set 20 years after the films. Future installments, notably a third film, have been under consideration for many years. The plot of the films and books centers around the Gates family – treasure hunters who search for and preserve lost valuables from the history of the United States of America – while the TV series references this background and features some common characters. The first film was a financial success at the box office. While it was met with mixed reviews by critics, who compared the movie unfavorably to Indiana Jones and The Da Vinci Code, audience response was positive, and the film has gained a positive legacy. The second film was also met with mixed critical reception, and had specific criticism directed at its use of similar plot devices, believability, and pacing. The film was met with positive response from audiences and made significant ticket revenue at the box office, and profit then and from further distribution for The Walt Disney Company. The television series for Disney+ was developed in the 2020s, releasing globally in mid-December 2022, while a third film has been under discussion for more than ten years.

Films

National Treasure (2004)

Benjamin "Ben" Franklin Gates is a member of a family of treasure hunters. At a young age, his grandfather tells him the legend of the hidden treasures of the Founding Fathers of the USA. His grandfather teaches him that the men and women of American history buried the treasure somewhere within the country and have hidden highly cryptic clues throughout various lands within the nation's borders. Years later, after a dead-end in the family's momentum of discovery and generations of failed attempts to progress the research, the Gates family has publicly acquired a reputation of conspiracy theorists who profess myth. Ben, however, believes he has found a new lead to solve the mystery of the treasure, which will allow him to prove that his family's legacy isn't a joke. One of the clues lead him to believe a map is on the back of the Declaration of Independence. In a race to find the historical discovery and to preserve it in a national museum, Ben must outpace the villainous plans of his former associate-turned-enemy named Ian Howe. Meanwhile, the FBI grows suspicious of his actions. Upon learning that Ian intends to take the document and find the treasure for personal gain, Ben decides to steal the file himself in order to preserve it, as well as the national treasure. In this head-to-head to save history, Ben is accompanied by his close friend Riley Poole and Dr. Abigail Chase.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

Several years since Benjamin "Ben" Franklin Gates found the Knight's Templar national treasure and gained fame and wealth from a self-imposed minimal 1% finder's fee, the Gates family finds themselves once again defending their family name. Competing scavenger Mitch Wilkinson claims that he has learned from a fragment of a missing page of John Wilkes Booth's diary, that the Gates family ancestor was a conspirator to the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. Together the Gates family contends with Wilkinson, who also states that hints to the whereabouts of the Lost City of Gold were found in the journal. Outraged by his familial claims Ben, his ex-girlfriend Abigail, and his best friend Riley (who has become a famous writer), travel the globe to France, England, and Washington, D.C., where their plans escalate. Along the way the team collect clues to redeem the family name, and to prove his honor. In D.C., Ben must kidnap the President in order to keep him safe from Wilkinson, and to look within the fabled President's Secret Book to solve the mystery.

Future

In May 2008, director and producer Jon Turteltaub stated that the filmmakers involved with the series will take their time in developing another National Treasure sequel. By September 2008, producer Jerry Bruckheimer officially confirmed that a third film is under development, with a script being written that November. In May 2010, Bruckheimer stated that the first draft of the screenplay was completed. In May 2016, Nicolas Cage confirmed the film was still undergoing rewrites and fact-checking their historical accuracy during the process of being developed. In September 2017, Bruckheimer revealed that a script was completed, but Disney was not satisfied with the story. By July 2018, Turtletaub reiterated that a script was "close", but that Disney was still not on board with the story. In January 2020, after years of being in development hell, a third film was officially in development with Chris Bremner hired to write a new script. In May, Bruckheimer stated that the intent is for all of the original cast from the previous films reprise their respective roles. By March 2022, Nicolas Cage stated that he has not yet seen the script, casting doubt on the realization of a third film. In April of the same year, the actor indicated that the film had been delayed with The Walt Disney Company favoring the television series instead. In August 2022, Bruckheimer stated that the script had been finished and was being sent to Cage for approval. In March 2024, Cage stated he had no interest in returning for a third film. However, in an interview with National Treasure Hunt Podcast (May 29), Director Jon Turteltaub stated the movie was "100% going ahead with the original cast, with potential for previous adversaries to return".

Television

National Treasure: Edge of History (2022–2023)

In May 2020, Jerry Bruckheimer announced that a Disney+ exclusive streaming services television series was in development. The series would feature a younger cast, with the pilot episode scripted and the additional episodes outlined. By March 2021, the series was green-lit with a 10-episode order from The Walt Disney Company. Co-written by Marianne and Cormac Wibberley, the pilot episode would be directed by Mira Nair. The series follows a Hispanic Latina-American lead character named Jess Valenzuela, who is a 20-year-old DREAMer who sets off on an exploration to discover the mystery of her family history, and with the help of her friends seeks to recover historical lost treasure. The co-writers additionally serve as creators, and executive producers, on the series, while Jerry Bruckheimer also serves as a producer. The project is a joint-venture production between Jerry Bruckheimer Television and ABC Signature. In October 2021, Lisette Olivera was cast to play Jess (Morales in original notes, Valenzuela in released material) in the show. In January 2022, Lyndon Smith, Zuri Reed, Jake Austin Walker, Antonio Cipriano, and Jordan Rodrigues were announced to have been cast as FBI Agent Ross, Tasha, Liam, Oren, and Ethan, respectively. In February 2022, Catherine Zeta-Jones was announced to have been cast as antagonist Billie Pearce. In April 2022, it was announced that Justin Bartha would reprise his role of Riley Poole as a recurring guest star. In September 2022, the showrunners/creators stated that they have tentative plans for reintroducing additional characters from the films into the series, including Nicolas Cage's Ben Gates. The duo compared the meeting between Valenzuela and Gates to Tony Stark / Iron Man and Peter Parker / Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. National Treasure: Edge of History premiered on December 14, 2022, on Disney+. On April 21, 2023, the series was canceled after one season.

Main cast and characters

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Additional crew and production details

Literature & other media

Novelization

Though a literature adaptation was never released for the first film, a novelization of the second titled National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets – The Junior Novel was released on November 6, 2007. Parts of the story in the novel version differ slightly from what was actually filmed, owing to changes being made in the screenplay prior to and during production.

Book series

The franchise expanded with the release of a series of historical-fiction novels, written by Catherine Hapka and published by Disney Press. The series centers around the ancestors of the Gates Family.

Podcast

The franchise also has a unofficial podcast, National Treasure Hunt, hosted by Aubrey Paris Ph.D and Emily Black Ph.D., who breakdown the franchise with in depth analysis into the science and myths around the National Treasure universe as well as comparisons with other similar franchises, Tomb Raider, Indiana Jones and Uncharted. The podcast hosts interviews with prominent people within the franchise including Jon Turteltaub, Cormac & Marianne Wibberley and Charles Segars, as well as Red Carpet interviews with the stars of National Treasure: Edge of History which include Catherine Zeta-Jones, Breeda Wool and Lisette Olivera. The podcast hosts a stage tour, special events and meet and greets for its fanbase around the locations of the film. The podcast also spawned a book, National Treasure: One Step Short of Crazy.

Reception

Box office and financial performance

Critical and public response

Accolades

The following is a table listing the awards and nominations received by National Treasure and National Treasure: Book of Secrets.