‘Zoolander 2′ Movie in the Works

Paramount and Ben Stiller are both gearing up for the arrival of the highly-talked about sequel “Zoolander 2”. Stiller who appeared in the original as a titular supermodel who became famous for his high-octane poses as “Blue Steel” and “Magnum” to dominate the fashion industry and save the world is said to be reprising his role.

Since it debuted in 2001, the film had undeniably gained cult status. However before the film could reach this stage where the studio is prepared to release a follow-up, the road to success had been heavy. “Zoolander” which was released after Stiller’s surprise smash “Meet the Parents” was expected to become another hit, but when negative reviews surfaced plus the unfortunate timing of releasing two weeks after 9/11, the film flopped in box office with only a domestic gross of $45 million in total. This was followed in 2004 by the suicide of “Zoolander” writer Drake Sather and another highly-publicized suicide attempt by co-star Owen Wilson in 2007.

Despite all the devastating and unexpected happenings plaguing the film, “Zoolander” has slowly crept its way to the top. Over the year, it had gained the reputation of a cult classic as DVD and iTunes sales have both been strong. The film offered new perspective to fans of the Stiller-Wilson team-ups seen in flicks such as “The Royal Tenenbaums”, “Starsky & Hutch”, and “Night at the Museum”. At present, no deal has yet been settled for Wilson to return as the rival model Hansel McDonald. Still, the studio is hopeful that a deal can be agreed upon soon. Meanwhile, current fan favorite Jonah Hill is in negotiations to star as the villain in the upcoming sequel.

Aside from the revival of the franchise, the movie would also serve as a reunion for Stiller and “Tropic Thunder” co-writer Justin Theroux who would be working together to create the script for “Zoolander 2”.