UPDATED: I'm told that Mike Myers has started writing Austin Powers 4 which will be an homage to his late father. "It's very personal with a father and son theme loosely based on his own life," an insider tells me. 
As Myers has previously said, this fourth installment of the super spy spoof movie series will focus on Austin's arch-villain Dr. Evil, who was based on Blofeld of the Bond films. But what hasn't been known is that the AP4 plot is really about Dr. Evil and his son (introduced already as Scott Evil, played by Seth Green). (NEW) Myers said this week he conceived the film’s plot during a “spiritual quest” of self-discovery to help him cope with his dad’s death in 1991 following a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. And it was during this time in his life that he said he was inspired to create the character of The Love Guru. “In many ways, The Love Guru is honouring him by dealing with his loss, because making silly movies is how I deal with things.”
Myers is penning his idea with Baby Mama's Mike McCullers, who collaborated with Myers on Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Austin Powers 3: Goldmember. There's no deal in place yet but New Line is panting after No. 4 despite Myer's recent box office bomb, The Love Guru, for Paramount. But does Myers realize he may no longer be a draw? (Probably not. Before the pic opened, he reportedly made diva demands from Conan O'Brien staffers last month for stupid stuff like Twizzlers and raspberry seltzer. Ugh.) Interestingly, I'm told that Myers had a character in the original Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery script called The Love Guru but decided not to shoot it and then wrote it out of the series. Nevertheless, when Paramount decided to make The Love Guru, it demanded that New Line sign a pledge that it had no claims to the character.
I found his humor to be about as amusing as a car alarm in a mall parking lot.
Comment by SurferDoc — July 30, 2008 @ 2:54 pm
Love Guru bombing ≠ “Mike Myers is no longer a draw.” Austin Powers is one of the sturdier franchises around. 2 did way better than 1, and 3 did better than 2 (domestically anyway). Why the impatience to bury Myers’ career when so many other celebs float from hit to bomb to hit?
On another note, Goldmember was supposed to be a tribute to his dad too. Didn’t his mom do anything for him all these years?
Comment by uncle vanya — July 30, 2008 @ 3:19 pm
After Love Guru–MM’s homage (of sorts) to his spiritual hero, Deepak Chopra–you’d think MM would give up on the whole tribute thing.
I know if I were one of his heroes, I’d beg him not to honor me.
And, say, isn’t MM’s 15 minutes up by now?
Comment by Hmmmmm...? — July 30, 2008 @ 3:33 pm
HURRAY! Another post about New Line. Or rather the undead reanimated corpse of the mini major that stumbles aimlessly through Burbank moaning and slowly rotting away.
It’s sad to think that such a film is being born out of the fact both Myers and New Line are both on a sharp downward spiral.
I had to laugh when someone described Undead New Line as existing under Warners in the same way Castle Rock does. Making smaller projects with their own coin and co-financing larger ones with WB’s own co-financing labels like Legendary.
The point being that Castle Rock had a great filmmaking pedigree before they ‘arrived’ at the WB lot. New Line however? Tropic Thunder features a faux trailer for a film starring Jack Black character who plays a family of constant farters. The studio that lends it’s name to such a mock trailer? New Line. Enough said.
Once New Line run through their meagre salvo of franchises with Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm St, Austin Powers and of course The Hobbit (which WB may yet still nick for themselves) will New Line be able to survive on Harold + Kumar films?
But Nikki, where was the post about Shaye and Lynne’s Unique Features first aqusition under their new WB deal? Boarding an epic trilogy adaptation of Asimov’s Foundtion series? Man alive! Who saw that coming?
Comment by Warner Borg — July 30, 2008 @ 3:35 pm
I agree with Uncle Vanya (above)- Mike Myers is over- While watching “The Love Guru” I realized how “10 Years Ago” Mike Myers and his humor have become. Yuck-
after “The Love Guru”– I can’t imagine ever wanting to
see another “Austin Powers” movie- Please Paramount save the public from this excruciating pain. It’s time for Mike Myers to go behind the scenes—–or to develop something futuristic and new. Austin Powers R.I.P.
Comment by noname — July 30, 2008 @ 4:01 pm
How is this newsworthy or interesting? Mike Meyers is so 1997. Most pictures coming out of the studios today are a snore. Mike Meyers just adds a digit to my long train of ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.
Comment by BoredWithMovies — July 30, 2008 @ 4:05 pm
Thank you, “Uncle Vanya”
We were thinking the same thing about Mike Myers - didn’t his mom do anything for him all these years?
Frankly, these self-indulgent celebs and their “tributes” to their fathers, and their incessant father-son dramatizations, are annoying.
How about some mother-daughter action? Oh, sorry - women are a majority but should act like they don’t exist. Or, save it for the occasional show on the CW. (Whereafter, everyone can gripe about the nerve to have a female-oriented show on air.)
Comment by Such garbage — July 30, 2008 @ 4:17 pm
Nikki saying that he’s not a draw anymore after one misfire shows how she’s desperate to just barf out a quick ‘take’ on any subject rather than provide insight or accuracy.
Love Guru was a piece of garbage, but betting against this guy so quickly is a mistake.
Roger
Comment by Roger — July 30, 2008 @ 4:27 pm
New Line sure is desperate, aren’t they? WB should get this movie. If we have to take idiots from their marketing/publicity team, we should be allowed to take any of their properties that have a remote chance at making money. WB gets AUSTIN POWERS 4 and THE HOBBIT and they can have SON OF THE SON OF THE MASK and RUSH HOUR 4:THIS TIME THEY GO TO THE MOON.
Comment by WB Man — July 30, 2008 @ 4:52 pm
How many times can we beat a dead horse? Not the Austin Powers franchise, Mike Myers’s one-note “humor.”
Comment by Mickey Slevin, ModernMoviegoer — July 30, 2008 @ 5:08 pm
He’s an extreme diva with an ego the size of Texas.
What’s more alarming is that nobody had the guts to tell him that Love Guru was a piece of shit script which never should have been made.
Instead they all inflated his ego even more. DeLuca should have been savvy enough to know Love Guru was crap as soon as he read it. Paramount should have pulled the plug as soon as they saw his idiotic costume and beard. The guru was repellent to look at and his dialogue was offensive and idiotic.
But nobody was willing to tell this emperor he had no clothes. Doing Dr. Evil is all he has to fall back on now but he should have done Part 4 a few years ago it should have been in theaters in 2005. Cat in the Hat was a disaster and it paved the way for Love Guru. Both characters were equally repellent.
I think Mike lost his bearings when he stupidly kicked his fantastic wife Robin to the curb. She gave him stability and smart advice. Without her he went off the comedic map. Supposedly he had a mid-life sexual identity crisis but even if that’s true there was no reason for him to dump Robin.
I’m sure she’d have been fine if he wanted to explore his bisexuality, she could have watched him with another guy or even participated. Fortunately she walked away with a huge amount of money probably $50 million or more so she’s the real winner here.
Comment by Anonymous — July 30, 2008 @ 5:12 pm
pass.
Comment by denver — July 30, 2008 @ 5:23 pm
I think Austin Powers 4 would be a mistake. While Goldmember did do well financially, I don’t really know anyone who remembers it fondly, and that dissatisfaction was probably an unspoken element in the failure of The Love Guru.
I think Myers is caught in a rut. He’s so picky that outside of Shrek, he’ll only do things he writes or co-writes, but he’s too big a “star” for folks to sit him down and say: “Mikey, I love ya like a casual acquaintance, but the Love Guru stinks. For the love of god, you used to be so funny!”
I think he needs to get out of “star” mode, and do something with other people. Play characters someone else has written, something not mired in the nostalgia for the media of his childhood. Do something that isn’t necessarily a “Mike Myers” movie. Aside from animated voice-work, he’s played only two roles in the past 10 years, Austin Powers and Guru Pitka. That’s not good for any actor, let alone a character based comedian.
And I say that as a fan going back all the way to SNL.
Comment by Furious D — July 30, 2008 @ 5:35 pm
If AP4’s a bomb, he’s dead in the water.
Comment by Michael Dobrofsky — July 30, 2008 @ 5:52 pm
People write off Myers because he does the same shtick with similar characters over and over again. A new addition to this franchise has got to do better than “The Love Guru”, which was just awful, not to mention a total financial disaster. The “Austin Powers” franchise will be Myer’s last successful endeavor, unless he comes up with something drastically different that is actually funny. Don’t hold your breath.
Comment by rael220 — July 30, 2008 @ 6:20 pm
So excited to see this one, so glad it’s finally in the process of getting made. You never know if the Love Guru will find more audiences on DVD — it wasn’t that bad — I think it was simply a bad choice of opening against get smart.
Comment by jake — July 30, 2008 @ 6:34 pm
Anonymous, I’m calling your bullshit.
As if you know anything about his freaking sexlife!
Your post was worthy of the crazies on Us Magazine online forums- pathetic, low and likely B.S.
P.S Very few women would be fine watching their partner with someone else.(unless they’re into that sort of thing, which, realistically, very few women. That is, unless they don’t give a shit about the guy they’re with, which clearly isn’t the case here- they were married).
Comment by A woman — July 30, 2008 @ 6:49 pm
The reason The Love Guru failed was because it was complete garbage… movie trailers usually show the funniest jokes in the movie, so when a trailer (like that for TLG) makes you groan without a single laugh, it’s not going to draw people to the theatre.
Austin Powers on the other hand has a built-in fan base. I wouldn’t be so quick to count this one out.
Comment by College Student — July 30, 2008 @ 7:13 pm
If there’s one thing Mike Myers knows it’s the Austin Powers characters. I have no doubt there’s an audience for a fourth film in this franchise. Unlike the “Love Guru” these Powers films are a big part of America’s pop culture! It would still be potent at the box-office.
Comment by entertainmenttodayandbeyond — July 30, 2008 @ 7:56 pm
I’m still waiting for Wayne’s World 3…
Comment by Garth Algar — July 30, 2008 @ 8:27 pm
SurferDoc, that’s why, thank God, you aren’t any kind of writer. The world is better for it.
Comment by Meh — July 30, 2008 @ 8:48 pm
oh gee, what a surprise. His most recent project bombed and now to salvage what’s left of his career he wants to get Austin Powers 4 in production as fast as he can.
Comment by john — July 30, 2008 @ 9:50 pm
Meh, you are right, I’m no writer. You don’t have to be a chef to recognize that you are being fed crap. Austin Powers is a two joke show that got boring somewhere in the middle of the second film. Only Dr. Evil keeps the franchise alive at all, IMO. Time for Mike to do something different, perhaps something written by someone else, as Furious D said above.
Comment by SurferDoc — July 30, 2008 @ 10:35 pm
wake the f up. austin powers’ “fan base” doesn’t go to the movies anymore. and this shit sucks anyway.
Comment by reality — July 30, 2008 @ 11:32 pm
noname - actually you disagree with me. That’s a “does not equal” sign between ‘bombing’ and Mike’.
My point was that the Austin Powers franchise can withstand Love Guru’s nosedive, in fact few would even think of one when they think of the other. Also that everyone in town is too quick to pronounce celebs dead after one failure. At least, certain celebs…
Comment by uncle vanya — July 30, 2008 @ 11:57 pm
Ô Nikki, please, it’s not my birthday but could you please allow your humble french (shame on me) servant to whisper a small “Toldya” on this one… (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/get-smart-over-love-guru-by-more-than-2-1/#comment-78149)
Comment by Thierry Attard — July 31, 2008 @ 2:52 am
I, personally am excited for this!!!! Bring on Dr. Evil, Scott Evil, and the awesome Fraulein!!!! I wannna see what this deviant trifecta can do. And can Austin Powers stop them??? ….i should order my tickets on Fandango now…….
Comment by alexis — July 31, 2008 @ 3:21 am
OMG!
You have got to be kidding me. Haven’t the studios learnt anything about comedians? They have short shelf-life and worst, once they master the comedic act, they will redo it to death ( think Carell, Farrel, Carey, etc..)
Just when you thought Hollywood is back to originallity, they go and screw everything up..Just grreeeeat!
Comment by Armand — July 31, 2008 @ 4:13 am
Paramount’s lucky that it’s had so many huge hits this year, that The Love Guru will be a blip on their spreadsheets. Still, I think this is a case of a studio desperately wanting a little Wayne’s World and Austin Powers money to rub off on them. I’m sure they convinced themselves that Mike Myers would make it work and that they might have a franchise here. And I’m sure he ran this idea past his friends at New Line who turned him down.
As for Myers, he’s got to get out of California. No one outside of California wanted to see a movie about a GURU! Nobody under 30 even knows what that is! Myers has to get out of the ’60s and find new modern characters, or just retire with his Austin Powers and Shrek money.
Comment by Dan Zee — July 31, 2008 @ 7:40 am
I know that New Line has been trying to launch an AP4 the day after AP3’s release. That it’s actually happening is because Myers’ clout has dropped and he realizes that he’s got to do something — anything — to prop himself up.
Myers is a smart guy and not a half-bad actor who’s made some awful decisions, not the least of which was his move to do just broad comedy material. He had a shot about a decade ago to make a movie called 20 BILLION with Michael Tolkin and bailed, dropping what’s been considered one of the ten-best unfilmed Hollywood scripts ever to go after, yes, SCOOBY-DOO (which he then also bailed on). His cold feet have cursed his career.
Comment by Jack Burton — July 31, 2008 @ 9:57 am
Dr. Evil vs Scott Evil with Uncle Austin on the side. I am not sure even The Movie Whore could sit through this one.
Really I don’t even think a cameo from Michael Caine could do anything for this one. It is going to be tough for Mike to come up with a script that will make this work but anything is possible.
Comment by The Movie Whore — July 31, 2008 @ 10:43 am
Myers and McCullers should revisit their old DIETER script. Now that was pretty damn funny.
Comment by Rich D — July 31, 2008 @ 10:52 am
One bomb? Did anyone see Cat in the Hat? Mike Myers is done. He should take a supporting roll in another comedy if he wants to try to revive his career. And if he was stil a draw, he wouldn’t even think of doing AP4.
Comment by John Peterson — July 31, 2008 @ 11:35 am
Okay sorry but who’s the genius that decided to cast Mike Myers as Keith Moon?! Are you frickin’ jokin me?! What’s next, Jim Carrey as Mama Cass?
Comment by Peterson — July 31, 2008 @ 11:40 am
Loved the first “Austin Powers.” Eleven years on, it’s still funny, despite every catchphrase being drilled into our collective heads by morning radio sound effects, and it being on tbs ad nauseum.
Still, “Shagged” and “Goldmember” just weren’t at all funny to me. Austin Powers always seemed like a one-off, not something that could artistically survive two sequels.
I’m sure APIV will make a lot of money, but I’m not looking forward to it.
Comment by ToddfromToronto — July 31, 2008 @ 12:16 pm
It’s going to be interestin see AP4. Especially with the Dr. Evil angle. So hopefully this one would be as entertaining as the previous ones. But has Austin Powers lost his mojo since he’s been abscent?
Comment by chuck — July 31, 2008 @ 12:25 pm
This story has become tiresome. Now is the time on Nikki Finke’s Deadline Hollywood Daily vhen ve dance.
Touch my monkey,
D
Comment by DIETER — July 31, 2008 @ 12:38 pm
Just sad. He’s nothing but a washed-up, one note actor and he’s desperately returning to the one thing he can be successful in. Will Ferrell, this is *already* you!
Comment by MacShill (Chris McCaw) — July 31, 2008 @ 12:42 pm
Ugh, it seems like people from all types of lines of business have problems with Mike Myers. A manufacturer that my business deals with had an Austin Powers related product scheduled to go into production, development and approval took nearly six months. Basically, a day before production, Mike Myers didn’t like the way the mold of product looked anymore and demanded that they rework the product that he liked and signed off on a few weeks prior.
Needless to say, companies like us expecting the product for retail tie-in sales to the movie were peeved when the product showed up two months after the film. A true diva is what I’ve heard through the stories with him.
Comment by Eric — July 31, 2008 @ 12:56 pm
Geesh, what’s with all the “so 1997″ remarks? That’s nonsense. The Austin Powers films still make me smile, regardless of what year it is. Admittedly, Myers can be a bit hit or miss. “The Love Guru” was a mess because the story was a mess. If they can come up with a decent story for this one — and I certainly hope they do — the audience will come. Granted, that’s a concept that Hollywood has always found difficult to grasp. After the success of “Titanic”, I half-expected someone to say, “That’s what we need! More movies about boats!”
It’s the story, stupid!
Comment by Wendy — July 31, 2008 @ 1:28 pm
Austin Powrs 3 was a total disappointment. Austin Powers 4 would have to feel fresh and inventive, much like the first felt. And the first sequel complimented the original Austin Powers. Mike Myers has the potential to make a great film as long as he comes up with new great jokes, a fun and interesting plot, and doesn’t rely on cameo’s and shock value alone (the midget fight) as what seemed to only stand out positively about Austin Powers 3.
The first two were very funny. Take the time and energy to come up with a furiously hysterical and off the wall, creative 4th installment and the series will start up again with praise, not end with thums down as what many people felt the third one was… not terrible but very disappointing.
And make certain not to do what they did wrong with Austin Powers 3 and The Love Guru. I never saw the latter to date but regardless of the bad reviews, several of my guy and girl friends said it was terrible.
I think Austin Powers can be funny again. And they can spoof other Bond villains like JAWS too if they have something imaginative and funny as hell. There’s just so much material they have to spoof from the Bond films if Mike Myers gets really passionate again.
Comment by Jon Cocco — July 31, 2008 @ 1:49 pm
There isn’t a single 40+ male comedian who’s funny anymore.
Mike Myers is pathetic now. So are Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Jim Carrey and all those other overpaid, humorless divas.
The Austin Powers movies were fun but after the overblown third edition I’m not in a hurry to see another sequel. There are only so many times you can go back and forth in time before you’re just spinning wheels.
And I’m sick of this father/son bullshit too that the celebs spout. It got to a really nauseating level when Tim Russert was being proclaimed as Father of Almighty Earth after he croaked.
If these “comedians” love their fathers so much, how about paying tribute to them with a good movie instead of a piece of shit?
Comment by Crystal Diane Stevens — July 31, 2008 @ 2:11 pm
6 words people 6 words “So I Married An Ax Murderer” the best movie he did period.
Comment by agent girl — July 31, 2008 @ 2:38 pm
A forth of most anything is a tired idea. Gawd, do something fresh and new Hollywood. Bringing back AP at this point smacks of so many past comics who dip back into old material. It’s been done…3 times. Enough.
As we used to say on-set when some joke was run into the ground “Manny, get the hook”. I think it’s time to get the hook out for AP
Comment by tsl — July 31, 2008 @ 3:31 pm
I agree with Such Garbage.
“How about some mother-daughter action?”
Hell yeah, I could use some mother-daughter action right now.
Comment by Anonymous — July 31, 2008 @ 3:38 pm
No. NOOOOO!
Why are they doing this? Where’s the 92 SNL of Sprockets and Lothar? I was just watching that. This can’t be 2008! I was just in HIGH SCHOOL!
Doesn’t seem like a good idea to me.
Comment by Alex — July 31, 2008 @ 4:11 pm
I agree with you Crystal - and just more and more of these stupid frat boy/toilet humor films keep coming out (see Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Jack Black, etc).
Here is an idea Hollywood - how about more films written by females and starring females? What a concept!
Comment by actingup — July 31, 2008 @ 5:46 pm
While certainly not as satisfying as the previous two, “Austin Powers in Goldmember” was still an enjoyable (if somewhat disappointing) effort and I personally look forward to the fourth endeavor if Myers and Co. can manage to inject more life and/or originality into it.
Regardless of how he actually may be off-camera, I personally find Mike Myers to be a talented performer and only think he is just currently in a less successful stage of his career.
Comment by J. Warner — July 31, 2008 @ 10:19 pm
George Clooney made three Danny Ocean films and that was enough.
Mike Myers made three Austin Powers films when two were enough.
The third film was Hollywood saying, “We get the joke - we want IN on the joke.”
If Mike wants to do ANOTHER father/son story, why not use the year and put something original together? Not necessarily even a comedy. Jim Carrey stepped away from his exaggerated roles and became a more well-rounded performer because of it.
Or perhaps this is truly what Mike Myers is - a one-note comic whose career teeters dangerously when he takes one step off the path in any direction.
Comment by MrJeff — August 1, 2008 @ 6:15 pm
WB Man? Are you serious? What idiots did “you” have to take? Isn’t basically everyone gone from NL? And if “you” are such hot sh*t you could open bigtime WB winners like Speed Racer and Nancy Drew. But you couldn’t, so guess what? “You” didn’t get your shot and whatever people that didn’t get axed at NL got a chance. Remember that was WB’s decision, dummy. We all work with the projects we’re given. Now go answer your bosses phone!
Comment by cmon now — August 3, 2008 @ 11:20 am
If ever a movie ended with a “SEQUEL!” scream, it was Austin Powers 3. Battling brothers reunited; a bad, bald Scott frothing to fight… But then Shrek happened. Understandable. After three films with daily 4 hour makeup sessions who wouldn’t prefer comfy, brief recording booth sessions to bring home the bacon?
Mike may have been distracted but I stayed focused.
In my spare time my daughter and I wrote Austin Powers 4: Cash-In-On Royally. In it, Scott Evil uses SuperSexy Evilyn Castrati to neutralize Austin Powers so that British Intelligence brings in Dr. Evil to help Austin stop Scott.
You could call it a “buddy” movie.
I’d like to post it where fans of the series can read, comment and critique it. Any suggestions?
Comment by victor anonsen — August 19, 2008 @ 9:55 pm