Zoolander is a 2001 American satirical comedy film written, directed, and produced by Ben Stiller, who also stars in the film as Derek Zoolander, a dim-witted male model. The film also stars Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Christine Taylor, Jerry Stiller, Milla Jovovich, and David Duchovny.
It follows Derek Zoolander, a male model who is considered to be the most popular and successful in the world. Zoolander is known for his signature "Blue Steel" look, which consists of staring vacantly into the camera with his eyebrows raised. However, Zoolander's career is threatened by the rise of a new model, Hansel McDonald (Owen Wilson), who is considered to be more attractive and talented than Zoolander.
Zoolander is then brainwashed by the evil fashion designer Jacobim Mugatu (Will Ferrell) to assassinate the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Mugatu is determined to eliminate the Prime Minister because he is opposed to child labor in the fashion industry. Zoolander is unaware of Mugatu's evil intentions, and he believes that he is simply participating in a fashion show.
Zoolander is a hilarious and satirical look at the fashion industry. The film is full of memorable quotes and scenes, such as Zoolander's "Blue Steel" look, Mugatu's "Derelicte" fashion line, and the gasoline fight scene. The film has become a cult classic, and it is still enjoyed by fans today.
Zoolander was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $60 million at the box office. The film was praised for its humor, performances, and satirical take on the fashion industry. Zoolander is considered to be one of the best comedies of the 2000s.
In 2016, a sequel to the film, Zoolander 2, was released. The sequel was not as successful as the original, but it still managed to gross over $55 million at the box office.
Cast
- Ben Stiller as Derek Zoolander
- Owen Wilson as Hansel McDonald
- Christine Taylor as Matilda Jeffries
- Will Ferrell as Jacobim Mugatu
- Milla Jovovich as Katinka Ingabogovinana
- Jerry Stiller as Maury Ballstein
- David Duchovny as J.P. Prewett
- Jon Voight as Larry Zoolander
- Woodrow Asai as Prime minister of Malaysia
- Vince Vaughn as Luke Zoolander
- Judah Friedlander as Scrappy Zoolander
- Alexander Skarsgård as Meekus
- Nathan Lee Graham as Todd
- Justin Theroux as Evil DJ
- Andy Dick as Olga the masseuse
- Andrew Wilson as Hansel's corner guy
- John Vargas as Italian designer
- Jennifer Coolidge as American designer
- Tony Kanal as French designer
- Patton Oswalt as Monkey photographer
- Mason Webb as Derek Zoolander Jr.
David Bowie and Billy Zane made prominent cameos as themselves, with Bowie acting as judge for a "walk-off", and Zane appearing as a friend of Derek. Comedian Godfrey and Taj Crown appear as janitor disguises for Derek and Hansel, respectively. Also making cameos were Lance Bass, Tyson Beckford, Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton, Stephen Dorff, Shavo Odadjian, Fred Durst, Tom Ford, Cuba Gooding Jr., Fabio Lanzoni, Theo Kogan, Lukas Haas, Tommy Hilfiger, Paris Hilton, Carmen Kass, Heidi Klum, Lenny Kravitz, Karl Lagerfeld, Lil' Kim, James Marsden, Anne Meara, Natalie Portman, Frankie Rayder, Mark Ronson, Gavin Rossdale, Winona Ryder, Garry Shandling, Christian Slater, Gwen Stefani, Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Donatella Versace, Sandra Bernhard, Amanda Lepore and Veronica Webb.
Director: Ben Stiller
Writers: Drake Sather Ben Stiller John Hamburg
Box Office Gross: $60,780,981
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Comedy
Release Date: September 28, 2001