Just because you can make something, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you should, with Disney Plus canceling sequel series National Treasure: Edge of History after a single season leaving nobody shocked.
After all, fans of the widely-popular blockbuster franchise had spent a decade and a half voicing their desire to see Nicolas Cage return for a third big screen adventure as Benjamin Gates, and it’s even flirted with the idea of escaping development hell on occasion. Instead, a Cage-less TV show was announced in its place, and the response was shrug more than anything else.
Sure, Harvey Keitel dropped by for a cameo in the first episode and Justin Bartha was back as Riley Poole to tie it to the movies, but the fact the response to Edge of History becoming one of Disney Plus’ highest-profile single-season casualties so far hasn’t exactly led to an outpouring of grief or indignation says it all.
The good news that could potentially come out of it is that producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Cage have confirmed that a script for National Treasure 3 has been written, and it’s under consideration by the resurgent star. With Edge of History proving in no uncertain terms that nobody gives a rat’s ass about the franchise without him, maybe it’s time to pull the trigger.
In the long run, it could be a lesson to the platform that you need a great deal more than just a recognizable IP to dust off a property and try to refit it for a new audience while deliberately omitting its most important ingredient.