It looks like the wait for the long-rumored Zoolander sequel has just gotten longer. In an interview with ShortList Magazine, Ben Stiller had the following to say about the next time he’ll play Derek on the big screen:
What’s the latest on Zoolander 2? Will it ever happen?Right now, it’s on hold. There’s a script we like, but I don’t want to force it, because people who love that movie really love it, so I want to make sure we do the sequel the right way. Mike Myers did it well with the Austin Powers movies – they were all funny, and very ‘of their time’. And Zoolander is ‘of its time’, too, so it’s about how we could bring it up to date, to the present day.Presumably, Derek will be rolling out ‘Blue Steel’ again in the sequel…Not ‘Blue Steel’ again, no. He’s got a new look. I think part of the sequel will be about how the fashion world moves so quickly. So, the movie will begin at a time when the whole world has moved on from Derek and Hansel because they’re so ancient history. It’s about them having to reinvent themselves and try to become relevant again.
How very meta. Zoolander has a unique history as one of the first big comedies to be released after 9/11; it understandably didn’t perform well at the theaters but went on to gain a huge cult following. In addition to the movie sequel, there have been on-and-off updates about the animated Zoolander series (titled Billy Glimmer: Entertainer of the Century) as well, but a release date for the series has not yet been set. While a Zoolander sequel isn’t exactly necessary, it’s a good sign that Stiller prefers to take his time with it rather than rush it to the screen. If there’s one thing he learned from the release of the first movie, it’s that timing is everything.