Myers Powers Into $25 Million Payday

February 28, 2001 -- The poor slobs who are making only $20 million a movie had better get with the times. The going rate for Hollywood hotshots is now $25 million.

One of the first stars to be offered that obscene amount is Mike Myers, who is negotiating with New Line to reprise the role of Austin Powers in a third film about the swinging but dentally challenged spy.

The deal, if it goes through, would give him a $25 million advance against 21 percent of the gross, Variety reports.

The Austin Powers series is the studio's most successful film property, and a third film was all but mandated by the $309 million worldwide gross of the second film in the franchise, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.

Also negotiating to return to the shagadelic fold are director Jay Roach, who helmed the first two films, and Mike McCullers, who co-wrote The Spy Who Shagged Me with Myers.

Early reports about the film's plot say that it will again feature Austin Powers and his nemesis, Dr. Evil, going toe to toe, but will find them back in the 1950s as rival schoolmates.

Myers is also in talks to star as Inspector Clouseau in a new Pink Panther film for MGM and director Ivan Reitman.

The comedian also owes a movie to Universal as part of the dispute over his walking away from a planned Dieter film. The details of the makeup project, which will be a coproduction with DreamWorks, are not yet known.