Call it the most inventive way to announce a sequel. On Tuesday, Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson strutted down the Maison Valentino runway during the Paris Fashion Show as Derek Zoolander and Hansel (So hot right now. Hansel.) McDonald; by bringing back the acclaimed Blue Steel pose, they officially announced a sequel to the 2001 cult comedy Zoolander. See their surprise appearance after the break. Afterwards, Paramount made it official with a tweet revealing the film’s release date: February 12, 2016.
And the fun didn’t stop there. The really, really, ridiculously good looking duo also appeared on Instagram to promote the forthcoming Zoolander 2 by posing together and also with American Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.
Stiller is expected to direct again and he co-wrote the script with his Tropic Thunder collaborator Justin Theroux. Beyond Stiller and Wilson, no other casting news has been made. However, Stiller has publicly stated in the past his want for Will Ferrell to return as the villainous Mugatu.
The plot is being kept under wraps for now, but a peek at a 2010 interview between MTV and Stiller might shed light on what we can expect: “In the fashion world, if you go away for a year, it’s changed — it just happens so quickly,” he said. “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.”
As a proud hardcore fan of the original, I am beyond excited to see what Stiller has in store for Derek Zoolander. The first one is jam-packed with memorable, timeless one-liners and undeniably outrageous sequences to-boot. I trust he and Theroux have cooked up a good enough story to warrant the return for these characters. I mean, what was done at the Paris Fashion Show is such an incredibly fun way to bring it all back. Can’t wait to see what happens next.