We’ve already settled that Austin Powers is the best movie franchise of all time, but did you know that today is Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery’s 20th birthday? Grrr, baby. Very grrr.
On May 2, 1997, the film industry was forever shaken by the character Austin Powers (Mike Meyers), a 1960s spy transported to the late ‘90s to defeat his nemesis, the Lorne Michaels-inspired Dr. Evil (also Mike Meyers). With crooked teeth, a soft body, and ample dick-shaped body hair, Austin had a questionable-yet-undeniable sex appeal that no one could resist.
Created on a $16.5 million budget (more like…one million dollars, haha, just kidding), International Man of Mystery went on to make $67.7 million (approximately $56 million domestically) at the box office and resulted in two sequels, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) and Austin Powers in Gold Member (2002).
This is a celebration of both the hero we deserve and the hero we need.