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Based on a series of television commercials for a British credit card company, Johnny English is a film that Universal Pictures hopes will be the first of a franchise. Like Austin Powers, Johnny English is a spoof of spy movies, in the vein of James Bond. What makes this project unique is that two of the scripters on the project were actually the co-writers of recent Bond flicks The World is Not Enough and Die Another Day.

The happy news is that Rowan Atkinson plays the title character. Atkinson has quite a cult following thanks to his involvement in the terrific Black Adder television series on BBC, and he has even appeared in a Bond movie (Never Say Never Again). In recent years, he’s primarily known for smaller, goofy roles, such as his recent turn as a narcoleptic Italian in Rat Race.

Atkinson also starred in and wrote another BBC series known as Mr. Bean, which was eventually turned into a feature-length film known only as Bean. Though the movie grossed a slight $45 million in North America, it nonetheless managed a staggering $232 million worldwide. The sketch comedy of Mr. Bean was a tough transition for the big screen; it was much better suited to the shorter bursts of the television format.

Looking forward to Johnny English, we already know that audiences clamored for the escapades of a similar character in Austin Powers. Will Atkinson’s creation be viewed as a fresh take on a similar story, or will it be viewed simply as a cheap knock-off? With a budget of $45 million, it’s not a particularly cheap production, but the hope would be that the involvement of the Bond writers, along with a potentially terrific bad guy (John Malkovich), will combine for outstanding results. (Kim Hollis/BOP)

Vital statistics for Johnny English Main Cast Rowan Atkinson, John Malkovich Supporting Cast Natalie Imbruglia, Ben Miller, Tim Pigott-Smith Director Peter Howitt Screenwriter Neal Purvis, Robert Wade; rewrite by William Davies Distributor Universal Trailer Click Here for Trailer Official Site http://www.johnny-english.com/ Rating PG Running Time 88 minutes Screen Count 2,236 Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture

Comparison films for Johnny English
Title	Date	Opening	Adjusted Opening	Screens	PSA	Adj PSA	Total BO	Adjusted Total	Mult
Austin Powers in Goldmember	7/26/02	73.07	75.97	3613	20224.00	20224.0	213.08	221.53	2.87
Austin Powers II:The Spy Who Shagged Me	6/11/99	54.57	65.03	3312	16582.00	18932.2	205.40	244.77	3.69
Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams	8/9/02	16.71	17.37	3307	5053.00	5053.0	85.63	89.02	4.63
I Spy	11/1/02	12.75	13.25	3182	4008.00	4008.0	33.11	34.42	2.60
Bean	11/7/97	12.73	16.72	1948	6535.00	8257.7	45.31	59.52	3.01
Rat Race	8/17/01	11.66	12.44	2550	4573.00	4694.4	56.09	59.86	4.81
Spy Hard *	5/24/96	10.45	14.25	2286	4571.00	5998.1	26.94	36.75	2.58
Austin Powers	5/2/97	9.55	12.54	2187	4367.00	5518.2	53.82	70.70	5.64