'Zoolander 2' Is On! Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson Walk the Runway Again In Paris
Paris Fashion Week experienced the power of Blue Steel on Tuesday, when Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson walked the runway at the Valentino show. Their appearance accompanied Paramount’s long-awaited announcement of Zoolander 2, the sequel to Stiller’s 2001 comedy about male fashion models, which will open in theaters on February 12, 2016.
Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson walk the Valentino runway
Stiller and Wilson played rival models Derek Zoolander and Hansel McDonald in Zoolander, a film that has only grown in popularity since its release over a decade ago. Stiller’s third feature as director, the fashion-world satire opened to modest box office receipts in September 2001 (just two weeks after the September 11 attacks). The movie did very well on home video however, and talk of a sequel has been in the air since at least 2008. Stiller and Tropic Thunder co-writer Justin Theroux reportedly finished the Zoolander 2 script in 2010, but three years later, Stiller described production as “on hold.” Then in September, Will Ferrell spilled the beans, revealing that the sequel was once again in production, and that he would be reprising his role as Zoolander’s villainous fashion mogul Mugatu. Zoolander 2 will reportedly take place 15 years after the events of the first film, with Derek and Hansel now washed-up models living in Europe.
Stiller posted this shot to his Instagram, writing “Apparently Derek and Hansel have come to terms on #Zoolander2”
Even if Derek Zoolander’s runway prime is behind him, Stiller and Wilson took their real-life Fashion Week responsibilities seriously. The actors walked the show in printed Valentino suits and overcoats, and prepped for their big moment with the help of Vogue editor Anna Wintour. (See behind-the-scenes pictures here.) Sadly, there was no gasoline fighting — but maybe they’re saving that for the big screen.
