Summary
National Treasuredirector Jon Turteltaub addresses the fate of Sean Bean’s character Ian Howe. Howe is initially introduced in the 2004 movie as a partner for Nicolas Cage’s Ben Gates in his quest to track down the Templar treasure, only for his greed and impatience with the number of clues required to find it leading to him turning on his friend. In the end, Ian was not only unsuccessful in his attempts to get the treasure, but he was arrested by the FBI and sent to prison.
In an episode of theNational Treasure Huntpodcast, Turteltaub was asked whether Ian is still in prison. Heacknowledges that Ian’s release from prison is imminent, but neither confirms nor denies whether this means he will be returning ifNational Treasure 3comes to fruition. The long-awaited sequel has been in and out of development since 2007, though it has not been officially greenlit, and any plot details, including Ian’s return, remain unconfirmed. Read Turteltaub’s response below:
The answer is yes, or about to be yes, and I know that sounds like aNational Treasure 3hint, but I’m not saying it isn’t, and I’m not saying it is.
What Role Would Ian Play In National Treasure 3?
Much of the speculation andanticipation forNational Treasure 3is rooted in the cliffhanger at the end of the second film,National Treasure: Book of Secrets, aboutthe mystery of what is on page 47 of the U.S. President’s book of secrets. National Treasure 3should explore the page 47 mystery and make it even more compelling by connecting it to the return of Ian, the franchise’s original villain. While Ian lacks the depth of historical knowledge and ingenuity that Ben possesses, he is a well-connected entrepreneur and treasure hunter.
National Treasure 3: Predicting What’s On Page 47
National Treasure 3 may be stuck in development hell, but there are quite a few stories that could be on page 47 of the President’s Book of Secrets.
Ian may possess a piece of information or a connection to the mystery of page 47sought after by Ben, and hopefully, Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) and Dr. Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger). This could allow Ian to take on a new role in the franchise as, instead of being a villain this time, he could be an unpredictable ally. Unlocking the secrets of page 47 may be what Ian believes he needs to get a fresh start after spending the past two decades in jail.
Of course, there is also the possibility that Ian will return as the villain once more. He likely sees Ben as responsible for preventing him from acquiring the Templar treasure for himself and for landing him in prison for the last twenty years. Thisgives Ian enough reason to hunt down Ben and seek vengeance, which will become even more high-stakes if Ian is also racing against Ben to find a new treasure or uncover a secret related to page 47. Regardless of his role, bringing Ian back would be an exciting way to expandtheNational Treasurefranchise.
National Treasure,National Treasure: Book of Secrets, and theNational Treasure: Edge of Historyseries are streaming on Disney+.
National Treasure
Cast
The first film in the National Treasure franchise, National Treasure stars Nicholas Cage as Benjamin Franklin Gates, a historian who discovers the map to a lost treasure hoard, hidden on the back of the Declaration of Independence. With the help of his friends Riley Poole and Abigail Chase, Gates embarks on a mission to steal the Declaration and locate the treasure before his former friend and crime boss Ian Howe can find it first. Along with Cage, the film stars Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, and Sean Bean.
