Mike Myers offers a cryptic the James Bond franchise. The Austin Powers movies primarily revolve around the titular British spy as he embarks on a number of outlandish missions in the hopes of putting a stop to his arch nemesis, Dr. Evil, also played by Myers, who threatens the world with a variety of weapons for money.
The Austin Powers franchise kicked off with 1997's International Man of Mystery, which received generally positive reviews from critics for Myers' performance and writing and was a box office hit, grossing over $67 million against its $16.5 million budget. This success would lead to 1999's Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, which received more mixed reviews but quadrupled the box office of its predecessor with over $312 million grossed, and 2002's Austin Powers in Goldmember, which again received mixed reviews from critics but was another box office hit, bringing in over $296 million against its $63 million budget. A fourth Austin Powers film has languished in development hell for over a decade and now the man behind it all is sharing a pseudo update on the project.
While appearing on SiriusXM's The Jess Cagle Show to promote The Pentaverate, Mike Myers was asked about the possibility of Austin Powers 4. The franchise producer/creator/star played coy about the long-gestating sequel, offering a cryptic answer as to the film's ongoing development. See what Myers said below:
"I can neither confirm nor deny the existence or non-existence of such a project, should it exist or not exist. [That's a] non-confirmed confirmation confirmation."
Development on Austin Powers 4 has been ongoing since 2005, with Myers frequently kicking up ideas and writing a number of drafts for the film that have gone nowhere. The sequel encountered a major speed bump in 2018 when Verne Troyer, best known for his role as Mini-Me in the franchise, died and left many, including director Jay Roach, uncertain about its potential. In the time since, however, Myers has worked to keep hope alive for Austin Powers 4, often expressing his interest in returning to the role and stating he has a completed script for the film, though also constantly downplaying any confirmations or denials of it moving forward.
Audiences memorably found some hope of Austin Powers 4 moving forward earlier this year when Myers reprised his role of Dr. Evil in a Super Bowl ad for General Motors along with franchise vets Seth Green, Mindy Sterling and Rob Lowe. Given Myers has been getting back to work the past few years after taking an eight-year hiatus with roles in Bohemian Rhapsody and Terminal and creating and starring in the new Netflix comedy series The Pentaverate, the door does seem open for Myers to finally bring his fan-favorite spy back to the screen. Only time will tell whether Myers' new Austin Powers 4 comments result in actual progress or if the project remains in development hell.
Source: The Jess Cagle Show
