Baby Driver makes Austin Powers masks a big seller for Halloween 2017

Yeah, baby, yeah! Austin Powers masks have suddenly become a big-selling item this Halloween. However, this isn’t due to a sudden resurgence of interest in the spy spoof series, but rather because of recent big screen release ‘Baby Driver.’

The musically-charged action thriller from writer-director Edgar Wright centres on Ansel Elgort as a getaway driver, and in one sequence he’s driving Jamie Foxx and his gang as they don masks for their heist.

However, while the plan had been for them to wear white masks like Michael Myers, the killer from the ‘Halloween’ series, they have instead mistakenly purchased masks of Austin Powers, as played by Canadian comedian Mike Myers.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, this rib-tickling scene has clearly inspired the shopping habits of many this Halloween, as Austin Powers masks have been selling out left and right.

THR reached out to Edgar Wright for comment, and the British filmmaker remarked, “I’m very proud. I feel like through my career, I have given people some very easy Halloween costumes, like Shaun in ‘Shaun of the Dead.'” [Reminder: that’s a blood-stained white shirt, a red tie, and a cricket bat. A very easy costume indeed.]

Wright notes, “I even mentioned to Warner Bros. [which released ‘Austin Powers’ under New Line Cinema] that they may ship a lot of masks at Halloween, and I think that’s exactly what’s happened.”

Meanwhile, Mike Myers himself states, “I’m equally proud of my work as the killer in ‘Halloween’ as I am for my work in ‘Austin Powers.'”

Introduced in 1997’s ‘Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery,’ Myers reprised the role of the swinging 60’s super-spy – not to mention his arch-nemesis Dr Evil (plus a number of other roles) – in 1999’s ‘Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me’ and 2002’s ‘Austin Powers in Goldmember.’

The films became a pop culture phenomenon, and took over $674 million at the worldwide box office.

‘Baby Driver,’ meanwhile, made $227 million worldwide (Edgar Wright’s biggest hit yet), and has been one of the best reviewed films of 2017, with a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score.

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