Role: Katinka Ingaborgovinanana
Director: Ben Stiller
Written by: Justin Theroux, Ben Stiller, Nicholas Stoller
Running time: 1h 41m

Synopsis

After many years of being separated from modeling and each other, Derek and Hansel are dragged back into the fashion world in Rome. After being humiliated on the runway by the people behind the scenes, Derek and Hansel decide to quit the business . . . until retired swimsuit model, Valentina, drags them back in with questions about recent celebrity deaths. Soon after, Derek also realizes out that the son who was taken from him is in Rome, and is much dismayed to find that Derek, Jr. is fat. And smart. Regardless, Derek, Sr. continues his mission with Hansel, which leads them to the fashion-model legends of “Adam, Eve, and Steve”, and the “Chosen One”. Who is that person? Why do the models drink the Chosen One’s blood? Will Derek’s and Hansel’s careers resume?

Production

In December 2008, Stiller confirmed that he wanted to make a sequel to Zoolander, saying: “I’ve been trying to get Zoolander 2 together and we’ve had a few scripts. I feel that is the sequel I really would like to do some day because I like the original and I would make sure it was something new and worthy of it first.” When interviewed on the May 15, 2009 episode of Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Stiller said he was looking at a number of scripts. By February 2010, Justin Theroux, who also co-wrote Tropic Thunder with Stiller, was hired to write and direct the sequel. By the following month, Stiller confirmed he would be co-writing the script, stating, “We’re in the process of getting a script written, so it’s in the early stages. But yeah, it’s going to happen.” At some later, unspecified point, Stiller had taken over as director. On the December 17, 2010 episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Owen Wilson said a Zoolander sequel would likely be made, tentatively titled Twolander.

In January 2011, Stiller confirmed that the script had been completed, and described the plot: “It’s ten years later and most of it is set in Europe… it’s basically Derek and Hansel… though the last movie ended on a happy note a lot of things have happened in the meantime. 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.” In July 2012, Stiller described a difficult development process: “We have a script, as we’ve had for a little while, and [the film] is not quite coming together right now but I hope it does. I would like to do it at some point in the future.” In September 2014, Ferrell said of the sequel, “We are actually supposed to do a read-through of a sequel script soon, and Mugatu is a part of it.”

By November 20, 2014, Penélope Cruz had joined the cast, and by January 29, 2015, Christine Taylor was confirmed to reprise her role as Matilda Jeffries. By February 9, 2015, it was announced filming was set to commence at Rome’s Cinecittà studios in the spring of 2015. On March 10, 2015, Stiller and Wilson appeared at the Paris Fashion Week in character as Derek Zoolander and Hansel McDonald. On April 13, 2015, it was revealed Cyrus Arnold had been cast as Zoolander’s son. On April 21, 2015, Fred Armisen joined the cast. In May 2015, Stiller revealed via Instagram the casting of Kyle Mooney, Beck Bennett, and Nathan Lee Graham.

Principal photography began on April 7, 2015, and ended on July 13, 2015. The film was shot at Cinecittà studios in Rome, Italy. During production, a 96 camera bullet time rig was used to catch the end sequence, but the footage was not used.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 22% based on reviews from 233 critics, with an average rating of 4.40/10. The site’s critical consensus reads, “Zoolander No. 2 has more celebrity cameos than laughs – and its meager handful of memorable gags outnumbers the few worthwhile ideas discernible in its scattershot rehash of a script.” On Metacritic, the film has a score of 34 out of 100 based on reviews from 42 critics, indicating “generally unfavorable reviews”. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of “C+” on an A+ to F scale, the same grade earned by its predecessor.

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone wrote: “Zoolander 2 sweats its silly ass off to please. The results are scattershot. But when it works — oh, baby. There’s a bit with Justin Bieber and a selfie that, well, no spoilers.” Justin Chang of Variety gave it a negative review: “The results may delight those who believe recycled gags and endless cameos to be the very essence of great screen comedy, but everyone else will likely recognize Stiller’s wannabe Magnum opus as a disappointment-slash-misfire, the orange mocha crappuccino of movie sequels.”