11 Movie Scenes Only Shot For The Trailer

3. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me

Austin Powers
New Line Cinema

Never in history has a movie been built up more than Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. In the months leading up, fans were giddy to see the trailer for George Lucas' long-awaited prequel.

Little did moviegoers know that the filmmakers behind Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me used this nostalgia to promote their own movie. The teaser for the Austin Powers sequel opened with the desolate remains of an intergalactic spaceship, which resembled the Death Star. When the narrator mentions the time "An empire was destroyed" and "A saga will continue," viewers couldn't contain their excitement. And when The Emperor's chair's was revealed, you had no reason to believe this footage was for anything except Star Wars.

Suddenly, the chair swivels around, revealing Austin Powers' arch-nemesis, Dr. Evil and his hairless kitty, Mr. Bigglesworth. Even though you can usually see parody trailers coming a mile away, this teaser really threw viewers off, since it perfectly emulated the feel of Star Wars. Since the first Austin Powers was only a minor hit, few people were expecting a sequel, making this trailer's reveal all the more surprising.

Contributor

James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows