A patriotic heist film from 2004 is back in the spotlight—and it’s giving Marvel and musicals a run for their money. Over two decades after it first hit theaters, Nicolas Cage’s National Treasure has surged into the Top 10 on Disney+ during the July 4th weekend, rekindling America’s obsession with puzzles, conspiracies, and a good old-fashioned treasure hunt.
According to FlixPatrol, the film landed at No. 8 on July 6 in Disney+’s U.S. rankings, outshining newer titles and reminding everyone why Nicolas Cage once ruled the box office with his wild-eyed charisma and chaotic charm.
A Forgotten Blockbuster Finds Its Audience Again
Back in 2004, National Treasure wasn’t exactly seen as a timeless classic. It made $347 million globally, sure, but critics were lukewarm. Fast forward 21 years—and it’s aged like one of the dusty secrets hidden beneath Philadelphia.
Streaming has given the film a second life. On a weekend wrapped in fireworks, nostalgia, and all things red-white-and-blue, audiences clicked National Treasure in droves. Something about Cage stealing the Declaration of Independence just hits different in 2025.
Its premise? A historian named Benjamin Franklin Gates (yep, really) follows a secret map hidden on the back of the Declaration, leading him through riddles, tunnels, and betrayals in search of a treasure linked to the Freemasons and the Founding Fathers.
Disney+ Viewers Push the Film Ahead of Marvel and More
As of July 6, here’s how National Treasure stacked up on Disney+:
| Rank | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ironheart |
| 2 | Independence Day |
| 3 | The Sandlot |
| 4 | Hamilton |
| 5 | Snow White |
| 6 | Captain America: Brave New World |
| 7 | The Parent Trap |
| 8 | National Treasure |
| 9 | Stitch! The Movie |
| 10 | Captain America: The First Avenger |
Climbing into the same tier as Hamilton and Captain America? Not bad for a two-decade-old heist flick. What’s more surprising is how many viewers are apparently discovering—or rediscovering—the film for the first time.
A Film Full of American Lore and Just Enough Nonsense
It’s hard to deny the film’s perfect Fourth of July appeal. It’s got everything: founding father shoutouts, secret societies, obscure Revolutionary War trivia, and Cage reading clues with the seriousness of someone decoding nuclear launch codes.
The character names alone feel straight out of a conspiracy Reddit thread. Benjamin Franklin Gates. Abigail Chase. Ian Howe. Riley Poole. You don’t meet people with those names in real life—but in this movie, they feel just right.
The movie also checks every American blockbuster box:
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A quirky protagonist with a personal family legacy tied to history
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Government agents who are both obstacles and allies
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A European villain (Sean Bean, naturally) who’s after the same treasure
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High-stakes set pieces in iconic American locations
And, of course, a resolution that feels more like the end of a museum tour than the climax of a billion-dollar chase.
The Cage Effect: Love It or Laugh At It, You’re Still Watching
Part of the movie’s ongoing appeal? Cage himself. In the 2000s, he was a force of nature—bouncing between serious Oscar bait and pure popcorn flicks. His performance in National Treasure walks a fine line between earnest and bonkers, and fans wouldn’t have it any other way.
He delivers lines like “I’m going to steal the Declaration of Independence” with full commitment. Not irony. Not a wink. He means it. That sincerity in the face of absurdity? That’s Cage.
His delivery has inspired memes, TikToks, and endless online parodies. But through it all, people still go back and watch. Sometimes to laugh, sometimes because it scratches a weirdly satisfying itch.
Not Just Nostalgia—It’s a Franchise Waiting for More
Let’s not forget: National Treasure wasn’t a one-and-done. It had a sequel—Book of Secrets—which brought even more conspiracy-laden madness. And fans have been begging for a third installment for years. Disney even toyed with a reboot series, National Treasure: Edge of History, but it fizzled out after one season.
Still, the appetite’s clearly there.
There’s something oddly comforting about these movies. They don’t pretend to be gritty or profound. They’re more like cinematic scavenger hunts—equal parts Scooby-Doo and Da Vinci Code, but with PG-friendly plot twists and museum-quality lighting.
A Streaming Comeback That Feels… Inevitable?
So why now? What makes National Treasure pop in 2025?
Well, for one, there’s a whole generation of millennials showing it to their kids. That nostalgic loop is real. And the timing helps—a patriotic long weekend practically begs for films soaked in Americana and “secret history” storytelling.
Also, let’s be honest: people are probably a little burned out from superheroes, multiverses, and gritty dystopias. Sometimes you just want a treasure map and a man in a turtleneck mumbling about riddles.
One sentence here.
Disney might want to take notes. If Cage is still game, and the audience still shows up? The treasure might not be buried anymore—it’s streaming.
