As gatekeeper of two Hollywood super-franchises, Jay Roach is the rare kind of man who can snap his fingers at anytime and guarantee $100 million minimum at the box-office. And when you’re holding two aces up your sleeve like “Austin Powers” and “Meet the Parents,” you never let your fingers drift too far apart.
“I know Mike’s thinking about it,” the producer/director said of the groovy possibility that the long-dormant super-spy will return for a fourth “Austin” flick. “Which is something of a move in a direction.”
“There isn’t a script like that or anything yet,” Roach added, cautioning people like Giselle that they shouldn’t get their hopes up. “But it’s something, that [is still alive]…he’s got other stuff to do too, and that one’s completely driven by Mike. If he wants to do it, I’ll definitely want to be involved. But I don’t know yet when that’s gonna happen.”
The same good news/bad news scenario is in play with the follow-up to “Meet the Fockers,” which Roach said is similarly still alive but inching along slowly. “The way we go after these is when we have a story that can make it earn itself back,” he explained. “Sequels shouldn’t always be automatic; there’s a certain amount of pressure if something works, to have it work twice. But that doesn’t always mean it will work three times.”
Of the film, which would reportedly focus on parenthood and be called “Little Fockers,” Roach said: “We’re just trying to find the right story that makes it worth doing again. We always talk about ideas for it, and it would be a great group of people to get back together, for sure.”
Roach is making a rare departure into drama these days with the star-studded “Recount,” which debuts on HBO May 25th. Otherwise, he says his two great franchises have one other thing in common: Evergreen enthusiasm from the fans. “Both are in the same situation, almost identical,” he observed. “I’m grateful that people even ask.”
Which would you rather see: Another “Austin Powers” movie, or another “Meet the Parents” sequel?
May 20th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Both! If I had to choose,Austin Powers! Though corny, they are very entertaining films!Can’t wait!
May 21st, 2008 at 8:43 am
The “Meet the fockers” Sequel should be called “Father and Mother Focker” or “Meet the Mother Focker”. Meet the parents is a classic.
May 21st, 2008 at 9:48 am
Talk about beating two overdone concepts into the ground.
May 21st, 2008 at 11:01 am
“Little Fockers” is my vote, I absolutely love it!
The story line is life itself & the cast is perfection. Kudos all around.
May 21st, 2008 at 1:07 pm
I loved Autin, and Meet the parents. But I would have to agree that these movies are done! Let them be classics. NOt over did movies like Rambo, and the Rocky films. OR even worse what the American Pie Name has become.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:06 pm
I don’t care for a fourth Austin Powers film, but I like the Little Focker idea. I would call it “Meet the baby Fockers”
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:32 am
i dont care for another austin powers even thou they left an opening but the ending of the third wasnt that great how come no one came up with the title for the third meet the parents and call it “Meet The Family” i think it would be a better title because you could have the family reunion part and the intro to the new focker family they could spin a bunch of comedy off of that
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:39 am
brett, “Meet the Family” is an awful name and you have clearly missed the point. cheers.
May 22nd, 2008 at 5:12 am
LOVE! BTW, scott, did you have a profile at the free interracial dating site–interracialconnect.com where love is color blind? Did you see the hot video with bikini? Really hot~~
May 22nd, 2008 at 6:35 am
meet the family ftw!
May 24th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Austin Powers rocks! I would love to see another movie or two with Austin Powers
July 13th, 2008 at 6:45 am
i think austin powers is soooooooooooo bad!!!!!!! they should definately make another sequel to meet the parents and they should call it “Meet the Kids”. Austin powers sucks!!!!!!!!!