Zoolander (2001)
- Eagle-eyed viewers have noticed a hidden easter egg referencing Ben Stiller's previous film in the background of the opening scene.
- Before Ben Stiller was cast, several major A-list stars turned down the lead role because they felt the script was too risky.
- The original script for Zoolander was written over a decade before production finally began in 2001.
Zoolander is a 2001 American comedy directed by and starring Ben Stiller as Derek Zoolander, an absurdly dim-witted male supermodel who is brainwashed by the fashion industry into assassinating the Prime Minister of Malaysia after the country's child labor reforms threaten cheap garment manufacturing. Owen Wilson co-stars as Hansel, Derek's rival model whose popularity has surpassed Derek's, and Will Ferrell plays Mugatu, the outrageously flamboyant fashion designer who orchestrates the brainwashing. Ben Stiller created one of the most quotable comedy characters of the 2000s โ Derek's signature pose "Blue Steel" (and its variations Magnum and Le Tigre), his inability to turn left, and the line "What is this, a center for ants?!" entered the permanent comedy lexicon.
The gasoline fight scene was a pitch-perfect parody of male vanity. Zoolander earned $60 million worldwide on a $28 million budget and developed an enormous cult following.
