Yes, Zoolander 2 has been officially confirmed for production, snagging a February 12th, 2016 release date – and in a grand style only befitting the beloved dunce Derek Zoolander himself, actors Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson put on their best Blue Steel faces as they worked the runway at Valentino’s Paris Fashion Week Show.
Watch the first 50 seconds of this video to catch a glimpse of the two legendary supermodels Derek and Hansel (appropriately featured during the Womenswear portion of the show):
Zoolander 2‘s plot description gives few details about the sequel, stating only that the modeling duo make a career renaissance “when an opposing company attempts to take them out from the business.” Stiller (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty), Wilson (Wedding Crashers), Will Ferrell (The LEGO Movie), and Christine Taylor (Dodgeball) will all reprise their respective roles, with Penelope Cruz (To Rome With Love) jumping on board as a new character.
Unlike the original 2001 comedy, however, Stiller’s place in the director’s chair remains unclear. The general consensus is that he will not be directing the upcoming movie, instead reportedly handing the reigns over to Justin Theroux (HBO’s The Leftovers) – who ironically played the Evil DJ in the original Zoolander. Theroux is also the screenwriter for Zoolander 2, with a film resume that includes comedies like Tropic Thunder, Iron Man 2, and Rock of Ages.
Some general cataloguing sites like IMDb, however, still list Stiller as the sequel’s director, causing some minor confusion. In an August 2014 interview with Vulture, when asked of his directing fate, Theroux seems unsure, quoting:
I don’t think I’m going to do it anymore…If it gets picked up, then I don’t think I’ll have the time to do it. So it’ll probably get handed to Ben, which would be awesome.
Theroux’s potential destiny as the comedy’s director may have been turned in his favor within the 7 months following that interview, however.
Whomever the director may be, Stiller is still producing and starring in Zoolander 2. In an interview with MTV, Stiller delves a little deeper into the story, saying:
In the fashion world, if you go away for a year, it’s changed — it just happens so quickly. I think the idea in the beginning of the movie is that it’s 10 years later, and Derek and Hansel are literally forgotten. Nobody remembers who they are, so they have to reinvent themselves.
It’s safe to say that in reality, Derek and Hansel’s legacy would never be forgotten in the pages of fashion history. Case in point: check out their exclusive Selfie-stick video below for an exquisite lesson on walking.
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