On the company's earnings call today, Viacom COO Tom Dooley noted a few projects that the company is looking to produce for release beyond next September.
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And blissful news for Derek Zoolander fans: Dooley also included the Zoolander sequel that Justin Theroux is writing for himself to direct. Sounds like Ben Stiller could be back on the runway as the really, really ridiculously good-looking model sooner rather than later.
Penelope Cruz to Star in ZOOLANDER 2 as Comedy Sequel Finally Gains Momentum; Ben Stiller to Direct as Well?
Just a few years ago, filmmakers were lamenting the fact that despite the cult success their comedies had enjoyed over the years, studios just weren’t willing to foot the bill for a follow-up. Director Adam McKay was famously ready to throw in the towel on Anchorman 2 before one last phone call to Paramount led to the film finally coming together, and it enjoyed modest success at the box office last year. Just last week, Dumb and Dumber To opened in theaters at the Number One spot, proving once again that a comedy sequel released years after the original (in this case a decade) still has an audience. Which leads us to Zoolander 2. The original Ben Stiller-led and directed comedy pulled in only $60 million at the worldwide box office, but it gained a massive following on home video over the years.
Stiller has been trying to get the follow-up off the ground for some time now, and it finally looks as if the project has momentum as Penelope Cruz is signing on to star.
While Zoolander’s box office take was certainly a disappointment, the film opened in 2001 just a couple of weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, so it’s understandable that American audiences weren’t really in the mood to flock to a silly comedy. Momentum has been building for the picture in recent months, with Justin Theroux working on the screenplay with Stiller and Will Ferrell revealing that Mugatu reappears in the follow-up, adding that the cast was poised to get together for a script read soon.
And now Deadline reports that Penelope Cruz has signed on to star in the comedy sequel, meaning the project certainly looks to be moving forward at Paramount. Theroux was originally attached to direct Zoolander 2 (which he also wrote), but he recently revealed that should HBO order a second season of the drama The Leftovers, of which he’s the star, his schedule likely wouldn’t allow for him to helm the comedy sequel. HBO did indeed renew The Leftovers, and while Deadline’s initial report had Theroux directing the film, the post was subsequently updated to say that Zoolander 2 will see Stiller “back behind the camera,” so I imagine that means this is Stiller’s next directorial effort after The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
Whatever the case, it’s certainly clear that the success of both Dumb and Dumber To and Anchorman 2 have paved the way for Paramount to gamble on Zoolander 2. Add in the fact that this summer’s 22 Jump Street proved to be one of the best comedy sequels of all time—a type of film that’s incredibly hard to pull off—and it looks like studios are starting to come around to the idea of comedic franchises. That’s a good thing in the case of Zoolander because it’s a sequel I’m dying to see, but given Hollywood’s penchant for overdoing trends (see: interconnected movie universes) I imagine we might be in for some ill-conceived comedy sequels down the road.
Regardless, the casting of Cruz in Zoolander 2 is promising for the life of the film and also marks a fitting addition to the ensemble (it’s not exactly a stretch to imagine Cruz navigating the world of models), so I’m very excited to see how this one turns out. What about you, folks? Are you game for more Zoolander? What other comedies do you think deserve follow-ups? Sound off in the comments below.
Why would you come into this thread to say no thanks to this sequel? If you aren't down with it, why even click into said area? C'mon now.
Why would you bother to comment?
For the same reason I shared my enthousiasm on other projects in those topics, as many. I just shared the lack of it in this specific case. Nothing more, nothing less.
I love Cruz and Zoolander. I hope they can capture that goofiness of the first without becoming caricatures of themselves like Dumb & Dumber To and Anchorman 2 did.
Christine Taylor to reprise role in 'Zoolander 2' -- exclusive
Quote:
Zoolander 2 continues to be the sequel that’s sort of happening but maybe not happening but, yes, actually happening.
Actress Christine Taylor confirmed to EW that she’ll reprise her role as journalist Matilda Jeffries in the sequel to the hit 2001 film, which followed lunkhead supermodel Derek Zoolander (Taylor’s husband, Ben Stiller) and his accidental adventures into the seedy, corrupt underworld of male modeling.
“I can tell you that I’m involved, but that’s all I can say,” Taylor tells EW. “I can tell you it’s happening, but I can’t tell you where Matilda’s at and where their relationship is at. It’s all top secret!”
At the end of the original film, model-hating journalist Matilda settles down and starts a family with Derek; their baby, Derek Jr., already shows early signs of following in his ridiculously good-looking father’s career footsteps.
A sequel to Zoolander has long been in some form of development, with bits and pieces of rumors about casting and production swirling for years. As recently as November 2014, it appeared that the film was in fact moving forward, with Penelope Cruz signing on opposite Stiller (who will direct from a script by Justin Theroux). Stiller and Stuart Cornfeld’s Red Hour Films will once again produce. Will Ferrell and Owen Wilson have also been rumored to reprise their roles as the villainous designer Mugatu and Derek’s rival model Hansel, respectively.
In a 2011 interview with Empire, Stiller briefly discussed the plot: “It’s ten years later and most of it is set in Europe…their lives have changed and they’re not really relevant anymore. It’s a new world for them. Will Ferrell is written into the script and he’s expressed interest in doing it. I think Mugatu is an integral part of the Zoolander story, so yes, he features in a big way.” (Take that plot description with a grain of salt, though—a lot can happen to a film script in four years.)
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Hope Paramount doesn't pass on it...
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