Derek Zoolander has been away from the catwalk for more than a decade now, but apparently you can’t keep a good male model down. A new report suggests that Ben Stiller’s memorably naive title character from 2001’s Zoolander will indeed return for a sequel, with actress Penelope Cruz signing on for a role in the upcoming film.
Deadline reports that the recent success of Dumb and Dumber To may have been the impetus for the Zoolander sequel to get a much-needed nudge toward production, and that Cruz will star alongside Stiller in the film. Will Ferrell and Owen Wilson are also expected to reprise their roles from the first film as fashion designer Mugatu and rival model Hansel, respectively.
While the original film failed to find success at the box office — a condition that many attribute to its September 28, 2001 release date, just a few weeks after the terrorist attacks on September 11 — the film became a huge hit on the home-entertainment side. Stiller has discussed the possibility of a sequel for years, but the project has yet to gain any momentum until this point.
According to the report, Rock Of Ages and Tropic Thunder screenwriter Justin Theroux has provided the screenplay for the Zoolander sequel, which doesn’t have a release date at this point. Just as he did for the first film, Stiller is expected to direct, though nothing is confirmed at this point.
