New Austin Powers Movie Prospects ‘Looking Good’ Says Star Mike Myers

There hasn’t exactly been a clamor from audiences for a new Austin Powers film, but star Mike Myers has teased that a possible fourth installment may be coming soon, according to the Independent.

Speaking at the premiere of the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, in which Myers plays EMI executive Ray Foster, Myers said that prospects for a new sequel were “looking good” and that “you’re going to see Dr. Evil soon, somewhere in the culture.”

Myers’ evocation of the infamous comedic villain of the franchise is a continuation of comments that he made in May, when he told Entertainment Tonight that “I would love to do a movie from Dr. Evil’s perspective, so it would be Dr. Evil 1: Austin Powers 4 is how I would roll. Start the campaign, please. Thank you.”

Myers could not verify a timetable for the continuation of the franchise, as he noted that the scripts “take a long time to write,” and that director Jay Roach’s availability is uncertain — as his schedule has been “super crazy.” Roach has completed seven different projects over the past three years, including the film Trumbo and the 2015 television series The Brink.

“But we– it’s looking good, so we’ll see,” said Myers.

Whenever the film begin production, the franchise will have to move forward without Verne Troyer — who committed suicide in April, as reported by NBC. Troyer rose to stardom on the wings of his fan-favorite characterization of Dr. Evil’s pint-sized henchman, Mini-Me.

It has been 16 years since the third film of the franchise, Austin Powers In Goldmember, was released in theaters. The original film, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, was released in 1997.

Myers himself has been largely out of the public eye of late, as before Bohemian Rhapsody and Terminal was released earlier this year, he had not appeared on-screen in a live-action film since making a cameo in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds in 2009. Since then, he has performed in a number of Shrek sequels and spin-offs — as well as taking a turn hosting a rebooted Gong Show on television.

Hollywood isn’t the only one vying for Myers’ attention, which also partly explains his long hiatus. “You know, I’ve been very… I’ve had three kids in the last six years and that’s sort of where my focus has been,” Myers told Digital Spy. Myers did say that he would be looking forward to continuing the Austin Powers franchise. “I love doing all the characters and it’s a non-stop party when we’re shooting. It’s fun,” he said.