THE STORY OF THE SHOT
Austin Powers (Mike Myers) and friends cut loose to ‘Soul Bossa Nova’ by Quincy Jones in the film’s opening routine. The song “revolutionised the way we looked at the whole film”, says director Jay Roach.
Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery
THE SECOND JAY Roach heard ‘Soul Bossa Nova’, he knew the search was over. It had been a long, and hitherto fruitless, hunt for the song that would introduce Mike Myers’ Austin Powers to the world, in the opening dance number of Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery. Filming was just a few weeks away, when the film’s music supervisor, Chris Douridas, handed Roach a cassette tape with a few options on it. Roach doesn’t remember what else was on there — all he knows is that he flipped when he heard the opening bars of Quincy Jones’ 1962 instrumental, with its tinkling piano, fluttering flutes and explosion of brass. “We said, ‘Oh, this is the vibe of the whole movie. This is the whole thing,’” recalls Roach. “It revolutionised the way we looked at the whole film.” Austin Powers had found his mojo, baby.