Why Mike Myers Passed On Remaking An Oscar-Winning Classic
Mike Myers may have ended up with a different career had he accepted the wild idea to remake a classic Oscar-winning film.
This article is more than 2 years old
Mike Myers is undoubtedly one of the best character actors in the world. He is set to take on a host of new characters in the Netflix series, The Pentaverate. This series is based on a group of men who work together to influence world events. Honestly, it’s good to see the man return to what he is best at. However, he was once asked by Lorne Michaels (head of Saturday Night Live) to head up a remake of a classic film. That classic film is The Graduate. Myers declined this request and stated, “‘I don’t think that’s a good idea.’ The Graduate doesn’t need to be remade — it’s a perfect film. A little man should not stand in a great man’s shoes.” Strong and rightful words from Mr. Myers.
Quite honestly, The Graduate is certainly one of the best classic films that the world has seen. It starred Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft and was directed by Mike Nichols. The film follows Benjamin Braddock, who graduates college, but sees an uncertain future. He ends up being intimate with the neighbor’s wife, which turns into a drama-fueled film that possesses one of the most iconic scenes in history. Benjamin bangs on the glass of a church to stop the women he loves from getting married to another. Honestly, Mike Myers might not have been able to capture the magic of this scene and film, without making it seem like a way more ridiculous version of the scene. You can see this scene below:
Instead of agreeing to do a film that should not be replicated, Mike Myers instead pitched a full-length Wayne’s World to Lorne Michaels. That was accepted, and that film certainly became one of the most fan-favorite entries in his career. It also spawned a sequel that was just as hilarious. Had Myers not made Wayne’s World, it might have also not led to Austin Powers and Shrek. Mike Myers is certainly a great character actor, but to remake a classic such as The Graduate would have potentially soured his career. We are not saying he wouldn’t have done a good job necessarily but remaking classic films doesn’t often work out.
Mike Myers may have been given the option to remake a classic film, but he instead opted to go with a route that he was far more comfortable in. Creating iconic characters has certainly worked out for the man, and he has created some of the best and most notable characters throughout the years. Dr. Evil certainly is one of his best. Nothing will top Dr. Evil appearing on the classic controversial talk show, The Jerry Springer Show.
As for Mike Myers currently, he now has a new miniseries which sees the man return as many colorful new characters. The Pentaverate is now streaming on Netflix, and from the trailers alone, it looks to be as wild as his other character creations have been. The man is playing a total of six different characters in the show, and they all seem to be hilarious for very different reasons. We can’t wait to stream this new series.
