John Lyons To Produce New "Austin Powers" Picture

(Los Angeles, September 6, 2001) -- Mike Myers will reunite with director Jay Roach, writer Michael McCullers and producer John Lyons on Austin Powers in Goldmember, the third installment of New Line Cinema's phenomenally successful Austin Powers franchise, it was announced today by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne, Co-Chairmen of New Line Cinema, and Toby Emmerich, President of New Line Productions. Eric McLeod will also produce the film which is gearing up for a mid-November production start date. New Line will release Goldmember on July 26, 2002 in the US.

The sequel will feature familiar characters as well as new nemeses and a new Powers Girl - roles previously portrayed by Heather Graham and Elizabeth Hurley (announcement forthcoming).

"I can't wait to start. We had a blast writing Goldmember. It's like a big party," said Myers.

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me earned more than $310 million worldwide, and the film holds the distinction as the highest grossing domestic title in New Line history.

"Mike Myers and Michael McCullers have outdone themselves with their work on Goldmember," said Emmerich. "This latest script is in a league all its own and takes the franchise to a new level of insanity and genius. We have all been mindful of the challenges of keeping this series fresh, fun and entertaining. Goldmember will be a hard act to follow, and we believe this film will continue to build on the loyal fan base that has made Austin Powers a world-renowned household icon."

Emmerich will oversee the development of the project along with Richard Brener, New Line's Senior Vice President of Production.

Mike Myers has brought an astonishing array of unforgettable characters to life on both film and television. He gained worldwide fame by starring in such films as this year's top-grossing film Shrek, Wayne's World (1 & 2), So I Married an Axe Murderer, and 54. Myers will next be seen as part of the Miramax comedy View from the Top in an ensemble including Gwyneth Paltrow and Christina Applegate.

Jay Roach made his directorial debut with the first Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, and followed that with its blockbuster, Austin Powers:The Spy Who Shagged Me. Most recently Roach directed Meet The Parents, which starred Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller and prior to that, he directed Mystery, Alaska which was written by David E. Kelly and starred Russell Crowe, Mary McCormack, and Hank Azaria.

Michael McCullers made his feature film screenwriting debut with Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Prior to that, he was a writer on "Saturday Night Live." McCullers graduated from Yale with a degree in English and currently lives in Los Angeles.

John Lyons produced the successes Boogie Nights and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, as well as Paul Thomas Anderson's first film, Hard Eight and The Opportunists. Before opening his production company, Lyons was a casting director for film, theatre and television. He cast over thirty films including Joel and Ethan Coen's Fargo, Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing, Barton Fink, and The Big Lebowski.

Myers was represented by CAA's David O'Connor. Roach was represented by
Nick Reed and Doug MacLaren at ICM, Jimmy Miller at Gold/Miller, and Howard
Abramson at Behr, Abramson, and Kaller, and McCullers deal was represented by David Miner at 3 Arts Entertainment, and attorney David Feldman.

Founded in 1967, New Line Cinema is the entertainment industry's leading independent producer and distributor of theatrical motion pictures. New Line licenses its films to ancillary markets including cable and broadcast television as well as to international venues. The company, which is a subsidiary of AOL Time Warner Inc., operates several divisions including in-house theatrical distribution, marketing, home video, television, acquisitions, production, licensing and merchandising units. For further information about the studio, please visit www.newline.com.

Ends

© Scoop Media