Somewhere between The Da Vinci Code and the most elaborate history-class conspiracy theory imaginable sits National Treasure. Welcome to the franchise, where the Declaration of Independence is a treasure map, presidents apparently leave clues everywhere, and Nicolas Cage will absolutely steal a national document if that’s what the investigation requires.
There are only two movies so far, but they’re packed with secret societies, cryptic puzzles, buried fortunes, and the kind of historical nonsense that’s far too entertaining to fact-check. The best part? After years of development limbo, National Treasure 3 is finally moving again.
So, before you start hunting for hidden messages in the walls, here are the National Treasure movies in order, including a glimpse at what’s coming next.
National Treasure Movies in Order: The Masterlist
With National Treasure, you really don’t need a corkboard, red string, or a PhD in American history to figure out the watch order. There are just two movies, both following Nicolas Cage’s Ben Gates as he turns historical mysteries into increasingly ridiculous treasure hunts.
1. National Treasure (2004)
Watch it on Amazon Prime Video
| Release Year | Runtime | Director | IMDb Score |
| 2004 | 124 minutes | Jon Turteltaub | 6.9/10 |
There is something wonderfully shameless about National Treasure. It looks at the Declaration of Independence and essentially goes, “What if we stole that?”
Nicolas Cage is a big reason it works. He plays Ben completely straight, even when the movie is asking you to believe that America’s founding fathers left behind an enormous scavenger hunt. It’s the sort of adventure movie where you can question the logic later. While you’re watching, you just want to see what the next clue is.
2. National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)
Watch it on Amazon Prime Video
| Release Year | Runtime | Director | IMDb Score |
| 2007 | 124 minutes | Jon Turteltaub | 6.5/10 |
How do you top stealing the Declaration of Independence? The movie’s answer is to drag Ben into another historical mystery, this time involving Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and a missing page from John Wilkes Booth’s diary.
Book of Secrets is bigger and a little more ridiculous, but that’s hardly a complaint with this franchise. The fun comes from watching Ben and his team poke around America’s history as though every old document, monument, and presidential secret is hiding another clue. Add Helen Mirren to the cast, and you’ve got a sequel that knows exactly what kind of nonsense its audience came back for.
What About National Treasure 3?
For a franchise that spent almost two decades trapped in development limbo, National Treasure 3 finally has some actual movement. The third movie is in development, with director Jon Turteltaub saying in August 2026 that it is happening and that the team is working on the script.
The big question is, of course, whether Nicolas Cage will return as Ben Gates. That’s still not something to treat as locked in, and there’s no release date yet. So for now, consider the first two movies your complete marathon, and National Treasure 3 the very overdue sequel waiting somewhere at the end of the map.
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