Incredible to think that it has been two decades since the Mike Myers creation Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery debuted on May 2 back in 1997. Under threat of an R-rating for male nudity, the modest budget comedy would go onto spawn an internationally acclaimed franchise with a litany of high profile cameos.
But Myers was under no doubt that New Line Cinema were taking a gamble on the $16.5m title, with test screenings in China returning awful reviews. Fast forward to today and with a trio of hits and even more legendary one-liners, fans continue to ask whether or not a fourth movie will ever get made.
AP4 Will Happen - Under The Right Circumstances
Siting down with his former director Jay Roach for a talk with THR, Myers recalled the motivation behind making the first movie, citing beloved British characters from James Bond, Peter Sellers, The Beatles, The Goodies, Peter Cook to Dudley Moore that his late father adored.
"I would love to do another, but you just have to see," replied the Canadian. "I was devastated by my father's death. But to have that turn into something that makes people happy is unbelievably satisfying. It's that kind of stuff you never get used to or get tired of."
As Myers had mentioned that he was developed an Austin Powers 4 screenplay as early as 2008, Roach admitted that the duo have been contemplating a sequel for a long time.
"We have talked about (making a fourth movie) for 15 years," said Roach. "We have also always said we don't want to do it unless we came up with something that lived up to the concepts in our mind.Until Mike feels like he has a concept that earns a fourth, it won't happen. But if it did, we have all agreed that we would be delighted to get back into it."
Myers Remembers Supportive Fisher During Cameo
Having the unusual honor of portraying both the protagonist (Powers) and the antagonist of the piece (Dr. Evil), why did he feel compelled to take on both major parts across the series?
"I always loved the 'We're not so different, you and I' scene. That was the main reason I wanted to play both Austin and Dr. Evil," he responded. "The Dr. Evil voice is a little bit Lorne Michaels, there are no two ways about it, but there is a lot more Donald Pleasence in there than Lorne. Lorne has a pinky thing, but he doesn't do it anymore."
Since the news of Carrie Fisher's passing hit Hollywood hard, Myers recalled the therapist cameo she played in the original, attempting to coach Seth Myers' character Scott back to emotional health following years of trauma at the hands of his father, Dr. Evil.
"I knew Carrie Fisher a little bit," Myers explained. "I sent the script to her in the hopes that she would play the therapist. And she wrote a very lovely, supportive letter saying how much she loved the movie. She was so supportive during the shoot. She just kept giving me a hug and telling me, 'I just love this scene and how weird the choices are.'"
Source: THR
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