Though fans of the titular simpleton may complain that the first Zoolander 2 teaser isn’t at least three times bigger, Paramount Pictures yesterday unveiled our first look at the upcoming fashion sequel.
With Ben Stiller reprising his role as Derek Zoolander for the comedy romp, the footage apes renown scientist Stephen Hawking, documenting the very existence of humanity all the way back to the big bang. Unfortunately, evolution by natural selection has still thrown up a few oddities, one of which being Stiller’s lead character, who struggles to comprehend simple arithmetic or the ability to turn left.
With nary a mention of the actual plot, Paramount’s first tease of the follow-up essentially spotlights Derek Zoolander’s limited intelligence – of lack thereof. What we do know is that Owen Wilson will once again star opposite Stiller as the equally deluded male model Hansel McDonald, while journalist Christine Taylor, Billy Zane and Penelope Cruz are all on board, too.
Of course, a lot has changed in the fashion landscape since the release of Zoolander in 2001, and there is plenty of opportunities for Stiller and co-writer Justin Theroux to poke fun at the Instagram generation and their obsession with selfies. Beyond that, aside from Magnum and the famed Blue Steel pose, who knows what look our protagonist will don come next year.
Releasing a full 15 years after the original cult hit, it remains to be seen whether Zoolander 2 can still draw in an audience. Much like 2013’s Anchorman: The Legend Continues, the fact that such a long period of time has passed between both installments could hamper its box office potential, though we’re holding out hope that Stiller’s sequel can retain the zany comedy of its predecessor.
Featuring an appearance from Justin Bieber, we can readily expect cameos aplenty when Zoolander 2 struts off the catwalk and into theaters on February 12, 2016.
