Nicolas Cage has been winning rave reviews for smashing through the fourth wall to phenomenal effect in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, the self-aware action comedy that marks the single best-reviewed movie in a career that dates back 40 years, with plenty of ups and downs along the way.
It’s a full circle moment for the Academy Award winner, one that leans into both his on and offscreen baggage to present the distillation of the ideal Nicolas Cage film, one that just so happens to star the man himself as both semi-fictionalized Nick Cage, and the hallucinatory Nicky.
The 58 year-old has been open in admitting that National Treasure 3 didn’t happen because his phone stopped ringing with blockbuster offers, before Disney ultimately decided to pivot in the direction of a TV series instead. However, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent co-writer and director Tom Gormican has revealed a crossover sequel pitch to ScreenRant that’s surely too good to turn down.
“[We have] a crazy idea about Nic filming National Treasure 3. He believes that the treasure map is real and goes to Jon Voight and says, “Forget this. I’m talking about generational wealth. We should just find this.” And they take the treasure map and find themselves basically in a National Treasure-like situation, where he has to channel his character from National Treasure in order to get himself out and save his family. We would call it The Unbearable Weight of National Treasure. It would be a Lionsgate-Disney crossover. Not sure if Disney’s up for this. But if you’re listening, Disney, please give us the rights.”
That sounds like it has the potential to be the greatest movie in the history of cinema, even if the chances of Disney playing ball are virtually non-existent. Like Gormican says, though, let’s cross our fingers and manifest The Unbearable Weight of National Treasure being willed into existence.
