Austin Powers and Shrek star Mike Myers has signed-on to star in and executive produce a new comedy for Netflix. The title of the show hasn’t been revealed, but there are a few early details to share:
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Variety reports that an initial six episodes of the new series have been ordered by Netflix, and that it will be a half-hour “limited series.” The key detail here is that Mike Myers will be playing “multiple characters” in the show – a performance feat that Austin Powers fans are all too familiar with, as Myers played multiple characters in that film franchise, including the titular James Bond knock-off, and his rival, Dr. Evil.
Myers has already released a statement on the announcement, stating, “I love creating characters, and Netflix has given me a fantastic playground to play in.”
Austin Powers franchise producer John Lyons and Gong Show EP Jason Weinberg are listed as the other executive producers of the series, with Mackenzie Cyr and Justin Capraro-Gentuso as associate producers.
Mike Myers has been somewhat quiet in the industry ever since the Austin Powers trilogy finished back in the early 2000s. He traded leading man roles for a leading voice role in the Shrek series through the mid-2000s – or hid behind loads of makeup and prosthetics to play characters like Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat. When Myers has popped up in major films like Inglorious Basterds and Bohemian Rhapsody over the last ten years, it’s been equally hard to know it’s him underneath all the makeup.
This new Netflix series will be the first time that the SNL alum has focused on a leading comedy role in quite some time, and it’ll be very interesting to see how his comedic sensibilities play in the modern era of streaming entertainment. The quickest comparison for Myers’ series is no doubt Netflix’s The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, was rose to earn itself a nice cult following over the course of four seasons. It will be interesting to see just how “limited” of a series Myers ultimately signs up for, should the show prove to be popular.
After all: until we get Austin Powers 4, it’s not like Mike Myers has that much pressing business in front of him…
