Austin Powers director Jay Roach doubts that a fourth film will happen. The Austin Powers franchise has been a hugely successful one for comedian Mike Myers, who's played the titular role three times now, with the last time having been in 2002’s Goldmember.
Though there’s been three films to date, the franchise’s financial peak came in 1999 with the follow-up to Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Myers had created the characters, writing the first film on his own and co-writing the other two. The films were filled to the brim with the sort of bizarre, slapstick humor that made Myers famous throughout his SNL and Wayne’s World years. Moreover, catchphrases from all three films became pervasive pop culture references for several years afterward. Today the rewatchability of the films seems to arguably have diminished, with some feeling that they haven’t aged well at all. That being said, diehard Austin Powers fans have been waiting years to see if the often-teased fourth installment in the franchise will ever materialize.
Unfortunately for fans, things aren’t looking good. In a new interview with British newspaper The Independent, Roach (who directed all three Austin Powers films) said that while he’s up for making a fourth film at any point, it all comes down to Myers and whether or not he can build a story in the wake of the death of Verne Troyer, who played Dr. Evil’s sidekick Mini-Me in The Spy Who Shagged Me and Goldmember. Said Roach when asked about the possibility of a fourth film:
“We’ve been trying to think up an idea that could earn a fourth film for a long time, but it’s always up to Mike. He and I always thought there was more to do with Dr Evil. To be honest, I don’t know how we’d do it without Verne. We always had ideas of revealing a whole life that he had that would have taken his character much further. If Mike cracks it and figures it out, we would definitely do some kind of tribute to him. I’m there if he ever wants to do it.”
All of this will undoubtedly seem quite strange to anyone who’s been paying attention to the on again, off again status of Austin Powers over the years. Back in 2011, word spread that Myers had officially signed on to create a fourth film, with an expected arrival date at some point in 2013. Obviously that never materialized, despite the fact that Myers has repeatedly stated throughout the past decade that he'd love to do another Austin Powers film.
What’s more, Myers has not been especially busy over the years, having taken on small roles in some films - like last year’s Oscar winning Bohemian Rhapsody - but aside from those, an enjoyable directorial debut with the 2013 documentary Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon, and hosting duties on The Gong Show, the 56-year-old seems to have had plenty of time to come up with a concept for Austin Powers 4. If Myers truly wanted a sequel, he seems like the type to go ahead and make it happen. Then again, maybe today’s audiences would no longer be as receptive to the comedic stylings of Myers as they once were, and that concern hangs over efforts to come up with a new twist on a familiar franchise.
Source: Independent