As Hollywood continues to raid its back catalogue to reboot, remake and throw out new sequels, I’ve always been surprised they haven’t revisited Austin Powers.
Those of us who grew up in the Nineties and early Noughties have a lot of nostalgia for the Sixties super-spy Austin Powers, plus his last film ended with the tease of a new villain, and yet there’s been no news about a sequel in years.
Now the trilogy’s original director, Jay Roach, has offered fans of Mike Myers’ big toothed, International Man of Mystery a ray of hope.
Roach has, of course, gone on to have a successful career as both a director and producer, taking on directorial duties for last year’s Trumbo, which saw leading man Bryan Cranston win his first Oscar nomination.
But that doesn’t mean Roach has abandoned his velvet suited Sixties swinger altogether, and in a recent appearance on Larry King Now, Roach mentioned that he and Mike Myers are always looking for a good idea for a fourth Austin Powers movie.
He said:
You know, [Mike Myers and I] talk about it every time we get together. I would say it’s in a latent phase right now, but someday if we find the right idea that seems to have it earn itself, for sure.
Mike gave me the break of a lifetime in letting me direct [Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery] so I’m always good to go.
So it seems that while the project isn’t moving forward right now, our beloved sexy spy is just back in deep freeze and not permanently gone.
The question is, do we need a new Austin Powers movie? The last one wasn’t exactly great and Myers’ recent film choices haven’t been great in recent years.
More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.
He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.