One of Nic Cage’s best heist films of all time is becoming a streaming hit twenty-one years after its original release. National Treasure is climbing the streaming charts this Fourth of July weekend.
Per FlixPatrol, National Treasure holds the #8 spot on the Top 10 on Disney+ in the United States on July 6. It beat out Stitch! The Movie (#9) and Captain America: The First Avenger (#10). Other entries in the Top 10 include Ironheart (#1), Independence Day (#2), The Sandlot (#3), Hamilton (#4), Snow White (#5), Captain America: Brave New World (#6) and The Parent Trap (#7). National Treasure sees Cage starring as a historian who goes on a hunt for a lost treasure after discovering a map hidden on the back of the Declaration of Independence.
The holiday weekend undoubtedly played a role in National Treasure‘s recent surge in streaming views, with other popular films centered around American history and patriotism also performing strongly on Disney+. From Cage’s character being named Benjamin Franklin Gates to the fabled treasure being interconnected to the Founding Fathers and the Freemasons, National Treasure‘s entire treasure hunting story is steeped in a historical premise (despite naturally taking some pretty significant creative liberties.)
National Treasure also starred Christopher Plummer as John Adams Gates, Sean Bean as Ian Howe, the crime boss and treasure hunter also tracking down the fabled riches, as well as Diane Kruger and Justin Bartha as Dr. Abigail Chase and Riley Poole respectively, Benjamin’s two allies who help him locate the treasure with their unique abilities and knowledge of American history.
Despite becoming a cult classic film that’s proving to be popular even decades later, National Treasure wasn’t a hit with critics upon its initial release. It received mixed reviews, with Cage and Bartha’s performances being deemed a highlight, but the film’s flimsy screenplay was often criticized. National Treasure has a 46% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes — but a much higher audience score at 76% from over 250,000 ratings.
National Treasure was more successful at the box office, where it grossed $347 million, leading to a sequel — Book of Secrets — following in 2007. Similar to its predecessor, the sequel also garnered mixed reviews but was a commercial success, but the franchise never continued with a third film.
A National Treasure TV Series Followed in 2023
In 2023, Disney rebooted the National Treasure franchise with a streaming television series featuring new characters but set in the same universe. National Treasure: Edge of History stars Lisette Olivera as Jess Valenzuela, a young woman living in Baton Rouge who discovers her dead father is part of the secret network of treasure protectors that Cage’s character originally uncovered.
Unfortunately for National Treasure fans, Edge of History didn’t resonate well with audiences, earning a 49% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes despite being one of Disney+’s most-streamed original programs in its first week. The series was canceled after one season, shortly after it finished airing.
National Treasure is now streaming on Disney+.
