For years, fans of the live-action remakes, it seems that the actual live-action films that were so beloved are being forgotten.
Disney+ certainly provides hope that there could be a future for this film series, though. With anticipation always high for a third installment, here are 10 things that we'd love to see if National Treasure 3 ever got made.
Tribute To Past Films
For the franchise to move forward it should certainly look back to past adventures. Although it shouldn't rely on the plot of the previous two films too heavily, it would be fun to see some of those clues come into play for an even bigger mystery.
What could also be interesting is to track how Ben Gates' reputation has changed over the years,after previously solving two cases. This could show how the franchise has developed while viewers haven't been able to watch events unfold.
Full Cast Return
The cast is what really made this series work. Outside of the fantastic casting of Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, and the rest of the actors were spot on for their roles. We'd love to see the full cast return for another adventure to really make this feel like a continuation.
Even Helen Mirren as Ben's mother was a stroke of genius, and we'd love to see choices like this at play again. It's the dynamic of the three leads that made every scene really work, with their chemistry clearly moving the plot forward.
International Adventure
The previous two films have been focused heavily on the United States, although both mysteries also took them outside of the country. However, we'd love for the sequel to be even more international.
The treasure hunts have always felt very U.S.-based, but the latest movie could showcase just how global some of these hunts can actually be. Locations such as New Zealand or China might create a much more exciting backdrop for this quest.
Bigger Clues
If the film is going bigger with the locations then it needs to be going bigger with the clues as well. Audiences have changed since the previous two films were released and it's likely that the clues need to be more complex to keep viewers engaged.
There are several other franchises to take inspiration from, including in both film and video games; some of these puzzle-solving mechanics might even be able to play into the film franchise as it continues to evolve.
Sean Bean Comeback
Going back to the cast, there's one man who would be perfect to bring back to the series as a way to tie the franchise together. Rare as it may seem, Sean Bean wasn't actually killed in the first film, but instead arrested for his crimes.
There are tons of ways that the character could be brought back, but he made an excellent villain, a role that Bean is not known for playing. Bringing back Sean Bean would be a great way to cap off this series.
Real-World Treasure
There are plenty of real-world treasure hunting stories that could inspire this action-adventure franchise. Some of these treasure hunts are still ongoing today, with hundreds of people trying to figure out the clues left behind.
The movie could therefore base some of its concepts off of these real-world scenarios in order to add something a little extra to the script. After the film, this can encourage people to go out treasure hunting and working out their own mysteries.
TV Show Spin-Off
Disney+ is a constant resource for the studio's franchises, and it wouldn't be too surprising to see it utilized here again. There's a multitude of films that deserve spin-offs, but we would love the final film in this series to set up a TV show.
We need more treasure hunting in our lives, and a high budget show, perhaps with a different team, could continue on the legacy while also taking a look at some of the other strange mysteries — perhaps even from Riley's book.
Developing Relationships
The world has moved on a lot since we last saw these characters, so it makes perfect sense that their relationships have moved along too. We expect to see divorces, conflicts, break-ups, or what might be the most surprising is that everyone is still friends.
Regardless, it needs to feel like time has had a significant impact on these characters, and that it is going to affect the adventure they are about to go on; otherwise what's the point of releasing another film so long after the last films?
New Team
Every team has to evolve over the years. One way to move forward is to have Ben replace his colleagues with two less experienced partners before realizing that he needs the old team back together as they are needed for a brand new adventure.
This would show significant growth, bring the group together again for a new mission, and set up a new series with the team that have recently been introduced. This kind of narrative would give the writing team plenty to work with.
President's Page
The previous film showcased what could be coming up in the sequel: the secret page inside the President's book, full of brand new mysteries to explore. This was clearly setting Gates up for a new high priority adventure that no one could know about, except his closest allies.
With a new President but the same secretive knowledge, a story really writes itself. The new commander-in-chief may disapprove of Gates knowing about the book at all, and there may be a lot of conflict in his investigations into what's really on that page that the President wanted him to explore.
