The Austin Powers series is a series of action-comedy films written, produced by and starring
Mike MyersMichael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian-English actor, comedian, screenwriter and film producer. He was a long-time cast member on the NBC sketch show Saturday Night Live in the late 1980s and the early 1990s and starred as the title characters in the films Wayne's World, Austin Powers, and ...
as the
title characterSir Austin Danger Powers, KBE, is a fictional character from the Austin Powers series of films. He first appeared in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and is portrayed by Mike Myers.-Personality:...
, directed by
Jay RoachJay Roach is an American film director and producer, best known for directing the Austin Powers films and Meet the Parents.-Background:...
and distributed by
New Line CinemaNew Line Cinema, often simply known as New Line, was founded in 1967, is one of the major American film studios. In 1996, though it initially began as an independent film studio, it became a subsidiary of Time Warner and is now a division of Warner Bros...
. The films mainly spoof the
James BondJames Bond 007 is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. The character has also been used in the longest running and most financially successful English language film franchise to date, starting in 1962 with Dr...
, Derek Flint,
Jason KingJason King was a British television series produced from 1971 to 1972. Each episode was one hour in duration , and the series had a run of one season of 26 episodes. As well as its native UK, the series was also screened in countries as far afield as Australia, Norway, and Peru...
and
Matt HelmMatt Helm is a fictional character created by author Donald Hamilton. He is a U.S. government counter-agent—a man whose primary job is to kill or nullify enemy agents—not a spy or secret agent in the ordinary sense of the term as used in spy thrillers.-The character and the series:The...
franchises, incorporate myriad other elements of
popular culturePopular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture...
and follows the
BritishGreat Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island. With a population of about 59.6 million people, it is the third most populated island on Earth. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1000 smaller...
spy's heroic quest to bring the villain Dr. Evil to justice.
The films poke fun at the outrageous plots, rampant sexual
innuendoAn innuendo is, according to the Advanced Oxford Learner's Dictionary, "an indirect remark about somebody or something, usually suggesting something bad or rude; the use of remarks like this: innuendoes about her private life or The song is full of sexual innuendo." The word is often used to...
, and one-dimensional stock characters characteristically associated with 1960s spy films, as well as the cliché of the ultra-suave male superspy.
The Austin Powers series is a series of action-comedy films written, produced by and starring
Mike MyersMichael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian-English actor, comedian, screenwriter and film producer. He was a long-time cast member on the NBC sketch show Saturday Night Live in the late 1980s and the early 1990s and starred as the title characters in the films Wayne's World, Austin Powers, and ...
as the
title characterSir Austin Danger Powers, KBE, is a fictional character from the Austin Powers series of films. He first appeared in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and is portrayed by Mike Myers.-Personality:...
, directed by
Jay RoachJay Roach is an American film director and producer, best known for directing the Austin Powers films and Meet the Parents.-Background:...
and distributed by
New Line CinemaNew Line Cinema, often simply known as New Line, was founded in 1967, is one of the major American film studios. In 1996, though it initially began as an independent film studio, it became a subsidiary of Time Warner and is now a division of Warner Bros...
. The films mainly spoof the
James BondJames Bond 007 is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. The character has also been used in the longest running and most financially successful English language film franchise to date, starting in 1962 with Dr...
, Derek Flint,
Jason KingJason King was a British television series produced from 1971 to 1972. Each episode was one hour in duration , and the series had a run of one season of 26 episodes. As well as its native UK, the series was also screened in countries as far afield as Australia, Norway, and Peru...
and
Matt HelmMatt Helm is a fictional character created by author Donald Hamilton. He is a U.S. government counter-agent—a man whose primary job is to kill or nullify enemy agents—not a spy or secret agent in the ordinary sense of the term as used in spy thrillers.-The character and the series:The...
franchises, incorporate myriad other elements of
popular culturePopular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture...
and follows the
BritishGreat Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island. With a population of about 59.6 million people, it is the third most populated island on Earth. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1000 smaller...
spy's heroic quest to bring the villain Dr. Evil to justice.
The films poke fun at the outrageous plots, rampant sexual
innuendoAn innuendo is, according to the Advanced Oxford Learner's Dictionary, "an indirect remark about somebody or something, usually suggesting something bad or rude; the use of remarks like this: innuendoes about her private life or The song is full of sexual innuendo." The word is often used to...
, and one-dimensional stock characters characteristically associated with 1960s spy films, as well as the cliché of the ultra-suave male superspy. Contrary to the handsome, super-smooth leading men of the James Bond genre, Powers is not characterized as being conventionally attractive (he is especially known for his bad teeth), although female characters in the films seem to find him irresistible.
The general theme of the films is that arch-villain Dr. Evil plots to extort large sums of money from governments or international bodies but is constantly thwarted by British super-spy Austin Powers, and (to a degree) his own inexperience with life and culture in the 1990s. In the
first filmAustin Powers: International Man of Mystery, released in 1997, is the first film of the Austin Powers series. It was directed by Jay Roach and written by Mike Myers who also stars in the title role. Myers also plays Dr. Evil, Austin Powers' arch-enemy...
, he and Dr. Evil are awakened after being cryogenically frozen for 30 years. Continuing to incorporate cultural elements of the 1960s and 1970s, the
secondAustin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, released in 1999, is the second film in the Austin Powers series. The series began with Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and continued with Austin Powers in Goldmember. The film was directed by Jay Roach, co-written by Mike Myers and screenwriter...
and
thirdAustin Powers in Goldmember, released in 2002, is the third film of the Austin Powers series starring Mike Myers in the title role. The movie was directed by Jay Roach, and co-written by Mike Myers and Michael McCullers. Myers also plays the roles of Dr. Evil, Goldmember and Fat Bastard...
film features time travel as a
plot deviceA plot device is an object or character in a story whose sole purpose is to advance the plot of the story, or alternatively to overcome some difficulty in the plot....
and deliberately overlook inconsistencies.
Original sources
Mike Myers himself has stated in interviews that the idea for Austin Powers
came to him one night while driving home from ice hockeyIce Hockey is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a puck into the opposing team's goal. It is a fast-paced and physical sport...
practice. Hearing the song "The Look of Love"The Look of Love" is a popular song. Since its first appearance in the 1967 spoof James Bond film Casino Royale, it has become synonymous with lounge and easy listening music.-Songwriters:...
" by Burt BacharachBurt F. Bacharach is an American pianist and composer. He is known for his pop hits from the early 1960s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David, many of which were produced for and recorded by Dionne Warwick....
on his car radio, he wondered "Where have all the swingers gone?", and conceived the character who would become Austin Powers. The first phrase he thought the character might say was "Do I make you
hornySexual arousal, or sexual excitement, is the arousal of sexual desires in anticipation for sexual activity. Things that precipitate human sexual arousal are colloquially known as turn-ons...
?" which later did indeed become a catch phrase for the character.
Myers has also disclosed that the character also draws on his recollections of former Radio Caroline DJ
Simon DeeCyril Nicholas Henty-Dodd , born Cyril Nicholas Dodd but better known by his stage name Simon Dee, was a British television interviewer and radio disc jockey who hosted a twice-weekly BBC TV chat show, Dee Time in the late 1960s...
who hosted the first real TV chat show in the UK in 1967 which ended with his driving off in a sports car with a young blonde in the passenger seat.
A Canadian by birth, Myers' parents are British and he holds dual nationality. Although the films parody the plots and characters of 1960s spy movies, the humour is influenced by Myers' British heritage particularly the
Carry On filmsCarry On is a long-running series of low-budget British comedy films, directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rogers. They are an energetic mix of parody, farce, slapstick and double entendres....
,
Benny HillAlfred Hawthorne "Benny" Hill was an English comedian, actor and singer, notable for his long-running television programme The Benny Hill Show.- Beginnings :...
and
Peter SellersRichard Henry Sellers, CBE, commonly known as Peter Sellers was a British comedian and actor best known for his roles in Dr...
of whom Myers is a self-confessed fan (his favourite films being the Bond spoof
Casino RoyaleCasino Royale is a 1967 comedy spy film originally produced by Columbia Pictures starring an ensemble cast of directors and actors. It is set as a satire of the James Bond film series and the spy genre and is lightly based on Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel.The film stars David Niven as the...
and The PartyThe Party is a 1968 comedy written and directed by Blake Edwards, starring Peter Sellers and Claudine Longet. The film has a very loose structure, and essentially serves as a series of set pieces for the comic talents of Sellers...
). Influences from Sellers' films are apparent throughout the series with the character of Austin Powers being inspired by Seller's portrayal of Roger Danvers in the 1972 film There's a Girl in My Soup*This is an article about a film version. For the article about the original stage version, see There's A Girl In My Soup . There's a Girl in My Soup is a British comedy film, directed by Roy Boulting and starring Peter Sellers and Goldie Hawn. Sellers appears as Robert Danvers, a vain womanizing...
. Powers' dandyish appearance is inspired by Jason KingJason King was a British television series produced from 1971 to 1972. Each episode was one hour in duration , and the series had a run of one season of 26 episodes. As well as its native UK, the series was also screened in countries as far afield as Australia, Norway, and Peru...
- the adventurer from Department SDepartment S was a British spy-fi adventure series produced by ITC Entertainment. The series lasted for 28 episodes, which aired in 1969-70. The series starred Peter Wyngarde as Jason King , Joel Fabiani as Stewart Sullivan and Rosemary Nicols as Annabelle Hurst...
who starred in his eponymous spin-off show. The name Austin Powers
is probably inspired by the British AustinThe Austin Motor Company was a British manufacturer of automobiles that rose to be a major motorcar brand, the dominant partner after merger with Morris in 1952 but declining after absorption into the British Leyland Motor Corporation, and its subsequent troubles.-History:-1905 - 1918: Formation...
brand of motorcar. Other influences are The Beatles filmsThe Beatles appeared in five motion pictures, most of which were very well received. The exception was the television movie Magical Mystery Tour which was panned by critics and the public alike...
, The Monkees
television series and the cocktail party scene from Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In
.
The films
The series so far consists of the following films :
- 1997
The year 1997 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*The Star Wars original trilogy's 20th Anniversary Special Editions are released.*Production begins on Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace....
-
Austin Powers: International Man of MysteryAustin Powers: International Man of Mystery, released in 1997, is the first film of the Austin Powers series. It was directed by Jay Roach and written by Mike Myers who also stars in the title role. Myers also plays Dr. Evil, Austin Powers' arch-enemy...
1999The year 1999 in film involved some significant events and was arguably the most successful year for films released in the 1990s. Several new feature films, including Star Wars Episode I, The Sixth Sense, The Green Mile, new sequel Toy Story 2, first of The Matrix, Disney's animated Tarzan,...
- Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged MeAustin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, released in 1999, is the second film in the Austin Powers series. The series began with Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and continued with Austin Powers in Goldmember. The film was directed by Jay Roach, co-written by Mike Myers and screenwriter...
2002The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost...
- Austin Powers in GoldmemberAustin Powers in Goldmember, released in 2002, is the third film of the Austin Powers series starring Mike Myers in the title role. The movie was directed by Jay Roach, and co-written by Mike Myers and Michael McCullers. Myers also plays the roles of Dr. Evil, Goldmember and Fat Bastard...
An early draft of the first film's script features a post-credits scene that states "SEE AUSTIN POWERS IN YOU ONLY FLOSS ONCE
", and also advertises movies such as Middle Name: Danger
(which is supposed to be set in the 1950s, and made to reflect that it was made at that time), Four Eyes Only
(a supposed 1970s film where Austin is played by Roger MooreSir Roger George Moore KBE is a English actor and film producer. He is perhaps best known for portraying two British action heroes, Simon Templar in the television series The Saint from 1962 to 1969, and James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
), and From India With Affection
(where Austin is portrayed as an Indian gentleman). None of these movies are real, of course, furthering the Bond parody theme of the series as a whole.
Austin Powers 4
During a 2005 interview on Entertainment Weekly
, Mike MyersMichael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian-English actor, comedian, screenwriter and film producer. He was a long-time cast member on the NBC sketch show Saturday Night Live in the late 1980s and the early 1990s and starred as the title characters in the films Wayne's World, Austin Powers, and ...
discussed the possibility of studio sources moving forward with a fourth Austin Powers
film. "There is hope!" says Myers of the latter. "We're all circling and talking to each other. I miss doing the characters."
In an interview with IGNIGN is a multimedia news and reviews website that focuses heavily on video games...
(May 16, 2007), IGN asked, "So no more Austin Powers
?" and Myers said,
"No, no, there is a fully conceived idea for a fourth and I can just say that it's from Dr. Evil's point of view. So if you balanced how much of it was Austin with Dr. Evil, it's more about Dr. Evil than Austin." In mid-February it was announced that Roach will return for this film.
In May 2007, at the Shrek the ThirdShrek the Third is a 2007 animated film, and the third film in the Shrek series, following Shrek and Shrek 2. It was produced by Jeffrey Katzenberg for DreamWorks Animation, and is distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was released in U.S...
premiere, Mike Myers announced that a fourth Austin Powers
film is planned but that it would focus more on Dr. EvilDr. Evil is a fictional character, played by Mike Myers in the Austin Powers film series. He is the chief villain of the movies, and Austin Powers' nemesis with aspirations of world domination. He is a parody of any number of James Bond villains, primarily Donald Pleasance's Ernst Stavro Blofeld of...
than AustinSir Austin Danger Powers, KBE, is a fictional character from the Austin Powers series of films. He first appeared in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and is portrayed by Mike Myers.-Personality:...
himself, and will include Will FerrellJohn William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, actor, voice actor and writer. Ferrell first established himself as a cast member of Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films A Night at the Roxbury, Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Kicking & Screaming, Talladega Nights,...
, Adam SandlerAdam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, musician, screenwriter and film producer. He is the founder of Happy Madison Productions, a film production company that also developed the television series Rules of Engagement.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, he went on to...
and Vince VaughnVincent Anthony "Vince" Vaughn is an American film actor and comedian. He began acting in the late 1980s, appearing in minor television roles before experiencing wider recognition with the 1996 movie, Swingers...
. He also said that he'd be starting work on it after he starts work on another film project, The Love GuruThe Love Guru is a 2008 American comedy film, directed by Marco Schnabel and starring Mike Myers and Jessica Alba along with Romany Malco, Justin Timberlake and Verne Troyer. In addition to starring in the film, Myers wrote The Love Guru with Graham Gordy, and produced it with Gary Barber. The film...
, in August 2007. It was also thought that Gisele BündchenGisele Caroline Bündchen is a Brazilian model, occasional film actress and goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Environment Program...
had been offered a role in the film.
Myers recently stated in an interview with TV Guide Network that he plans to begin serious work on the fourth installment in the Austin Powers
series. Confirming earlier reports, Myers again stated that the upcoming film would be from the point of view of Dr. Evil, Austin Powers' twin brother.
In a June 2008 interview, when asked about another Austin Powers film, Myers stated, "I have an idea, and again it's one of those things that will emerge or it won't."
In September 2009 Verne Troyer (Mini-Me) stated on UK chat show
Friday Night with Jonathan RossFriday Night with Jonathan Ross is a comical chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. It is on the British terrestrial TV channel BBC One and is broadcast at 10.35pm on Friday nights. It was first shown on 2 November 2001 and is in it's seventeenth series...
that Myers had been putting pen to paper on a fourth movie.
Characters
| Character |
Film |
Austin Powers: International Man of MysteryAustin Powers: International Man of Mystery, released in 1997, is the first film of the Austin Powers series. It was directed by Jay Roach and written by Mike Myers who also stars in the title role. Myers also plays Dr. Evil, Austin Powers' arch-enemy...
|
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged MeAustin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, released in 1999, is the second film in the Austin Powers series. The series began with Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and continued with Austin Powers in Goldmember. The film was directed by Jay Roach, co-written by Mike Myers and screenwriter...
|
Austin Powers in GoldmemberAustin Powers in Goldmember, released in 2002, is the third film of the Austin Powers series starring Mike Myers in the title role. The movie was directed by Jay Roach, and co-written by Mike Myers and Michael McCullers. Myers also plays the roles of Dr. Evil, Goldmember and Fat Bastard...
|
Austin PowersSir Austin Danger Powers, KBE, is a fictional character from the Austin Powers series of films. He first appeared in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and is portrayed by Mike Myers.-Personality:...
|
Mike Myers |
Dr. EvilDr. Evil is a fictional character, played by Mike Myers in the Austin Powers film series. He is the chief villain of the movies, and Austin Powers' nemesis with aspirations of world domination. He is a parody of any number of James Bond villains, primarily Donald Pleasance's Ernst Stavro Blofeld of...
|
Mike Myers |
| Basil Exposition |
Michael YorkMichael York, OBE is an English actor. He is more recently known among mainstream audiences for his role as Basil Exposition in the Austin Powers series of comedy films.-Early life:...
|
Number 2Number 2 is a fictional character in the Austin Powers franchise. He is played by Robert Wagner in all three movies, while his younger self is played by Rob Lowe in The Spy Who Shagged Me. He briefly appears as a teenager in a flashback in Austin Powers in Goldmember, portrayed by Evan Farmer...
|
Robert WagnerRobert John Wagner is an American film and television actor of stage and screen, who starred in movies, soap operas and television...
|
Robert WagnerRobert John Wagner is an American film and television actor of stage and screen, who starred in movies, soap operas and television...
Rob LoweRobert Hepler "Rob" Lowe is an American actor. He became known after appearing in 1980s movies such as The Outsiders and St. Elmo's Fire, which included other members of the Brat Pack...
(younger version) |
Frau FarbissinaFrau Farbissina is a fictional character from the Austin Powers series of movies, played by Mindy Sterling. She is the attack and defense specialist of Dr...
|
Mindy Sterling Mindy Sterling is an American actress. Although she had worked in film for over 25 years, she only began to truly garner attention after playing Frau Farbissina, the diminutive and domineering Germanic cohort of Dr. Evil in the Austin Powers series of comedy films.-Career:Sterling joined the...
|
Scott EvilScott Evil , is a fictional character from the Austin Powers films, born in ca. 1970. Although he was told as a child that he was artificially conceived in a laboratory, it is revealed that Scott is the son of Dr. Evil and Frau Farbissina and was conceived in 1969 when Dr...
|
Seth Green Seth Benjamin Gesshel Green is an American actor, comedian, voice actor, and television producer. He is well known for his role as Daniel "Oz" Osbourne in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as Doctor Evil's son Scott in the Austin Powers series of comedy films and Mitch Miller in That '70s Show...
|
| Vanessa Kensington Vanessa Kensington is a fictional character in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and, briefly, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. She was played by actress and model, Elizabeth Hurley.-Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery:...
|
Elizabeth HurleyElizabeth Jane Hurley is an English model and actress who became known as a girlfriend of Hugh Grant in the 1990s. Born in Basingstoke, Hurley was a struggling actress in 1987, when she met Grant while working on a Spanish production called Remando Al Viento...
|
|
Felicity ShagwellFelicity Shagwell, is a fictional character in the 1999 film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, portrayed by Heather Graham.-Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me:...
|
|
Heather GrahamHeather Joan Graham is an American actress and fashion model. She is best known for her performance in Gus Van Sant's 1989 Drugstore Cowboy and her role as Rollergirl in the 1997 film Boogie Nights directed by Paul Thomas Anderson...
|
|
| Foxxy Cleopatra Foxxy Cleopatra, played by Beyoncé Knowles, was the female counterpart to Austin Powers in the third Austin Powers film; Austin Powers in Goldmember.-Austin Powers in Goldmember:...
|
|
Beyoncé KnowlesBeyoncé Giselle Knowles , often referred to mononymously as Beyoncé , is an American R&B singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and model. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
|
| Nigel Powers Sir Nigel Powers is a fictional character who appears in the third Austin Powers movie, Austin Powers in Goldmember. He is portrayed as the father of Austin Powers, Dr. Evil and Mini-Me.-Pre-Goldmember:...
|
|
Michael CaineSir Michael Caine, CBE is an English film actor. Caine has appeared in more than 100 films, and is one of only two actors to have been nominated for an Academy Award for acting in every decade since the 1960s Sir Michael Caine, CBE (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, Jr.; 14 March 1933) is an...
|
| Mrs. Kensington |
Mimi RogersMimi Rogers is an American movie actress and competitive poker player.-Personal life:Rogers was born Miriam Spickler in Coral Gables, Florida, the daughter of Philip J. Spickler, a civil engineer. Rogers, whose father was Jewish and mother Episcopalian, became a member of the Church of...
|
|
Mini-MeMini-Me is a character played by Verne Troyer in the second and third Austin Powers movies; Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Austin Powers in Goldmember.-History:...
|
|
Verne TroyerVerne J. Troyer is an American actor and stunt performer. Troyer is notable for his height of , the result of cartilage–hair hypoplasia dwarfism, making him one of the shortest men in the world...
|
| Fat Bastard Fat Bastard is a fictional character in the second and third films in the Austin Powers films. A morbidly obese henchman hailing from Scotland, Fat Bastard serves Dr. Evil in his quest to defeat Austin Powers. The character is portrayed by Mike Myers....
|
|
Mike Myers |
| Goldmember |
|
Mike Myers |
Cars
There were two cars featured in the films, called "SWINGER" and "SWINGER2". The cars were a 1961 Jaguar E Type and a 2001 XK8 convertible. He also called these cars "Shaguars." He is also seen driving a 1999
VolkswagenThe Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft , also known as Volkswagen Group or as VW, is an automobile manufacturer and mobility organisation based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany and is the pioneer brand within the Volkswagen Group, which contains the car brands Audi AG, Bentley Motors Ltd.,...
BeetleThe Volkswagen New Beetle was introduced by Volkswagen in 1998, drawing heavy inspiration from the design of the original Beetle. Unlike the classic Beetle, the New Beetle has its engine in the front and luggage storage in the rear.-Concept 1:...
convertible in the second movie. In addition, Nigel Powers' car is a 2001
MiniThe Mini is a small car that was produced by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered an icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
, which is able to travel under water and has a license plate reading "GR8SHAG". There were two cars made by the
MODThe Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
to transport Austin back in time, one of them being the Volkswagen Beetle, and the other a 1975
Cadillac Eldorado FleetwoodThe Eldorado model was part of the Cadillac line from 1953 to 2002. The Cadillac Eldorado was the longest running American personal luxury car as it was the only one sold after the 1999 model year...
. Felicity Shagwell, in the second movie, drives a 1966
ChevroletChevrolet is a brand of automobile produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant in 1911, Chevrolet was acquired by General Motors in 1917...
CorvetteThe Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car manufactured in six generations by General Motors since 1953. The first Corvette was designed by Harley Earl and named by Myron Scott after the fast ship of the same name. Originally built in Flint, Michigan and St. Louis, Missouri, it is currently built at a...
with a U.S.A. flag paintjob.
Box office reception
The first film in the series,
Austin Powers: International Man of MysteryAustin Powers: International Man of Mystery, released in 1997, is the first film of the Austin Powers series. It was directed by Jay Roach and written by Mike Myers who also stars in the title role. Myers also plays Dr. Evil, Austin Powers' arch-enemy...
cost $16.5 million, opened on May 2, 1997, and made a modest impact, grossing US$53 million in its North American release. The film was not a major success in theatres, but became a hit and cult classic on the home video market and cable television. In June 1999, the film spawned a sequel, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged MeAustin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, released in 1999, is the second film in the Austin Powers series. The series began with Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and continued with Austin Powers in Goldmember. The film was directed by Jay Roach, co-written by Mike Myers and screenwriter...
. This, however, was a huge box office hit, the third-highest grossing film of the summer (Behind only Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom MenaceStar Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It was the fourth film to be released in the Star Wars saga and the first in terms of internal chronology. It was also Lucas' first film as a director in 22 years, and only his fourth overall...
and The Sixth SenseThe Sixth Sense is a psychological thriller film, written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It tells the story of Cole Sear , a troubled, isolated boy who is able to see and talk to the dead, and an equally troubled child psychologist who tries to help him...
), earning US$206 million in its North American release. In its North American opening weekend it earned US$55 million (then the third biggest debut in box office history), and became the first movie sequel to outearn the original after only its first weekend. The 282% increase in total box office gross from the
original to sequel is a feat beaten by
Terminator 2: Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment Day, commonly abbreviated as T2, is a 1991 science fiction action film directed, co-written and co-produced by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, and Robert Patrick...
s 434% increase and
The Color of MoneyThe Color of Money is a film adapted from a 1984 novel by American writer Walter Tevis, continuing the story of pool shark Eddie "Fast Eddie" Felson, with Paul Newman reprising his role from the movie version of The Hustler...
's massive increase of 687% over
The HustlerThe Hustler is a 1961 American drama film. It tells the story of small-time pool hustler "Fast Eddie" Felson and his desire to prove himself the best player in the country by beating legendary pool player "Minnesota Fats." After initially losing to Fats and getting involved with unscrupulous...
(7.6 for The Hustler to 52.2 million for The Color of Money, but in 1986 dollars The Hustler (1961) made almost 28 million). A third film,
Austin Powers in GoldmemberAustin Powers in Goldmember, released in 2002, is the third film of the Austin Powers series starring Mike Myers in the title role. The movie was directed by Jay Roach, and co-written by Mike Myers and Michael McCullers. Myers also plays the roles of Dr. Evil, Goldmember and Fat Bastard...
, was released in 2002 to similar fanfare, earning US$213 million. The
Austin Powers trilogy is one of the few movie series in which every sequel has outearned the film that preceded it, at least in nominal dollars.
Charts
| Title |
Release date |
U.S.
box office |
Total
admissions |
Inflation adjusted
total box office* |
Austin Powers: International Man of MysteryAustin Powers: International Man of Mystery, released in 1997, is the first film of the Austin Powers series. It was directed by Jay Roach and written by Mike Myers who also stars in the title role. Myers also plays Dr. Evil, Austin Powers' arch-enemy...
|
May 2, 1997 |
$53,000,000 |
11.5 million |
$77,625,000 |
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged MeAustin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, released in 1999, is the second film in the Austin Powers series. The series began with Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and continued with Austin Powers in Goldmember. The film was directed by Jay Roach, co-written by Mike Myers and screenwriter...
|
June 11, 1999 |
$206,000,000 |
40.5 million |
$273,375,000 |
Austin Powers in GoldmemberAustin Powers in Goldmember, released in 2002, is the third film of the Austin Powers series starring Mike Myers in the title role. The movie was directed by Jay Roach, and co-written by Mike Myers and Michael McCullers. Myers also plays the roles of Dr. Evil, Goldmember and Fat Bastard...
|
July 26, 2002 |
$213,000,000 |
36.6 million |
$257,050,000 |
| Totals films as of November 2007 |
$472,000,000 |
88.6 million |
$598,050,000 |
* Figure as of May 6, 2007
Games
Video games
- Austin Powers: Oh, Behave! (Game Boy Color)
- Austin Powers: Welcome to My Underground Lair!
Austin Powers: Welcome to My Underground Lair! is a video game released for the Game Boy Color. It is a simulation of a computer of the antagonist of the Austin Powers movie series, Dr. Evil. One of the games features is its minigames...
(Game Boy Color)
- Austin Powers in Operation Trivia (PC and Macintosh)
- Austin Powers Pinball
Austin Powers Pinball is a pinball-based video game released in 2002. The game is thematically based on the Austin Powers series of films....
(PlayStation and PC)
Other
- Austin Powers Collectible Card Game
The Austin Powers Collectible Card Game is a collectible card game based on the world of Austin Powers. The game was introduced in 1999 by Decipher, Inc. with The Spy Who Shagged Me being the only set released. This set included 140 cards based on photos, quotes, and concepts present in the Austin...
by Decipher IncDecipher, Inc. is an American gaming company based in Norfolk, Virginia, USA. They began with three puzzles called "Decipher" then moved on to party games and Pente sets, but since 1994 produced collectible card and role-playing games. Their longest-running offering is the How to Host a Murder...
See also
- Johnny English
Johnny English is a 2003 British comic film parodying the James Bond secret agent genre. It starred Rowan Atkinson as the incompetent British spy of the title, with John Malkovich, Natalie Imbruglia, Tasha de Vasconcelos and Ben Miller...
- another James BondJames Bond 007 is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. The character has also been used in the longest running and most financially successful English language film franchise to date, starting in 1962 with Dr...
parody released concurrently with the Austin Powers series
External links