Zoolander (2001)

At the end of his career, a clueless fashion model is brainwashed to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Director:

Ben Stiller

Writers:

Drake Sather (character Derek Zoolander), Ben Stiller (character Derek Zoolander),

Stars:

Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Christine Taylor

1 win & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ben Stiller	...	Derek Zoolander
Owen Wilson	...	Hansel
Christine Taylor	...	Matilda Jeffries
Will Ferrell	...	Jacobim Mugatu
Milla Jovovich	...	Katinka Ingabogovinanana
Jerry Stiller	...	Maury Ballstein
David Duchovny	...	J.P. Prewitt
Jon Voight	...	Larry Zoolander
Judah Friedlander	...	Scrappy Zoolander
Nathan Lee Graham	...	Todd
Alexandre Manning	...	Brint (as Alexander Manning)
Asio Highsmith	...	Rufus
Alexander Skarsgård	...	Meekus
Donald Trump	...	Donald Trump
Christian Slater	...	Christian Slater

Storyline

Derek Zoolander is VH1's three time male model of the year, but when Hansel wins the award instead, Zoolander's world becomes upside down. His friends disappear, his father is disappointed in him, and he feels that he's not good as a model anymore. But when evil fashion guru Mugato hires Zoolander, he thinks his life has turned back round again, that is until he finds out that Mugato has actually brainwashed him to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Can Zoolander and his new friends find out how to prevent the incident before it's too late?

---

Plot Keywords:

fashion | male model | malaysia | reporter | time magazine | 

---

Taglines:

3% Body Fat. 1% Brain Activity.

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 on appeal for sexual content and drug references

Details

Country:

USA Australia Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 September 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Derek Zoolander

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$28,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$381,063 (Spain) (4 January 2002)

Gross:

$381,063 (Spain) (4 January 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures, VH1 Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Owen Wilson, who plays Hansel, wore a wig for the entire movie. He was filming Behind Enemy Lines at the same time, and had to keep his hair short for the role.

---

Goofs

At the VH1 Fashion Awards, when Derek is walking up to get 'his' award, Hansel says, "Huh?" but his mouth doesn't move.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
(Announcer): And here in Malaysia, there is an almost overwhelming sense of euphoria as the newly-elected prime minister has given this nation a gift of hope promising to raise the substandard minimum wage and end child labor once and for all. Already considered a living saint he has become this small country's greatest hope for a thriving future in the new millennium.

---

Connections

References 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

---

Soundtracks

"I Started a Joke"
by Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb & Maurice Gibb
Performed by The Wallflowers
Produced by Julian Raymond
The Wallflowers perform courtesy of Interscope Records

User Reviews

Flawed, but so hilarious it doesn't seem to matter

When I first saw this I was expecting a total disaster of a movie. Persuaded by my older brother, I rented it and watched with a skeptical mind. I like Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson OK, but the idea just seemed so stupid and the fact it was based on some short on VH-1 making fun of male models seemed like it wasn't thought out too well.

What I ended up doing was laughing so much I nearly died. This movie's story is definitely pretty ridiculous and not completely thought out, but the list of characters and cameos alone make this worth a treat. This is probably the funniest I've seen Will Ferrel, and Jerry Stiller plays his usual old crotchedy man with flying colors. Almost every scene with them makes you laugh out loud. It seems pretty obvious that even though it was a feature film, Ben Stiller seemed to have a lot of control over this. Definitely isn't made to please the masses, but those who can appreciate ridiculous, campy humor and are fans of these actors will find themselves wanting to show this movie to anyone who hasn't seen it. I won;t ruin any of it, except to say the funniest line in the movie is "Merman! MERMAN!!!" And expect many great cameos, especially Billy Zane. You'll understand once you see it.