Zoolander 2

[Pubrick]

Writer Justin Theroux Says 'Zoolander' Script Is 'In Good Shape,' Teases Return Of Will Ferrell's Fashion Mogul Mugatu
Source: The Playlist

Last we heard, Ben Stiller was working with fellow actor/writer/director Justin Theroux on a sequel to his cult hit, 2003's fashion industry comedy "Zoolander." Appearing at NYCC for David Gordon Green's "Your Highness" now, Theroux has provided several updates on the sequel. The gestating script is described as being in "good shape right now. I'm feeling very optimistic about it. We're doing a few little tweaks before we submit it, but I'm very hopeful that I'm going to be working on that soon," Theroux told MTV. As previously mentioned, the sequel will be set 10 years after the original and will begin with Derek Zoolander (Stiller) and rival-turned-partner Hansel (Owen Wilson, whose return sounds more likely now) "in a pretty bad place. They're about to ring 40's bell. They have to claw their way back into the fashion industry in some way or another." We're sure some of Theroux's attempts to hook with up models research at Paris Fashion Week will come into play here. And what about a return from fashion mogul Jacobim Mugatu, played in the original by Will Ferrell? "Fingers crossed, anything is possible in Hollywood, but I think you're going to see Mugatu. We are planning on seeing Mugatu. There are a couple new villains that step onto the stage, which we are all very happy about. And yes, Jonah is the inspiration for one of them." Theroux is referring, of course, to a villain set to be portrayed by Jonah Hill. The actor has been in discussion for role and told us at SXSW that he has also had involvement with the creation and development of the character. Hill did, however, reiterate that nothing is set in stone just yet and —judging by the fact Theroux doesn't exactly sell the actor's involvement —we presume it's still only early days. The same can probably be said for the project as a whole but, fingers crossed, things will pan out well.

i hate how the playlist pads out their news stories with thoughts from this weird personal "we" entity.

just give us the scoop and shut the fuck up with the we bullshit.

[Stefen]

haha yeah they always do that shit. They'll post a story then somewhere in there be sure to mention how much they love or hated some other project. I think their audience doesn't know if something is good or bad unless they say it is. We should start a thread where we post every time the playlist does this. It would be a billion pages.

[MacGuffin]

Ben Stiller Says 'Zoolander 2' Has A Good Script, But Still In The Hands Of Paramount
Source: The Playlist

While some people think we're kind of no-fun movie lovers who prefer our films foreign and depressing, the truth is we could probably out quote anyone when it comes to either "Anchorman" or "Zoolander" any day of the week. But any hopes of seeing Ron Burgundy or Derek Zoolander again on the big screen lie at the table of the execs at Paramount. As we already know, the proposed musical sequel to "Anchorman" was rejected by the studio last summer as they felt the price tag for the film would have been too high. With that film now on the sidelines until somebody comes to their senses, attention has focused in on the gestating "Zoolander 2." At the beginning of the year, Ben Stiller revealed that a script, co-written by Justin Theroux, had been completed and submitted and they were just waiting to hear back. And they're still waiting. Playlist scribe Christopher Bell was among those assembled earlier this week when the team behind Richard Ayoade's upcoming "Submarine" (which Stiller produced) spoke to the press. Stiller addressed the persistent rumors about the "Zoolander" sequel, revealing that his phone thus far has been quiet. "It's kind of coming along slowly, we have a script that we like and we're just waiting for the studio to figure it out. But I think we all want to do it. We're raring to go, not quite sure where the studio's at. Hopefully it'll come together," he said. As with "Anchorman," the hurdle may be how much it will cost. Last summer it was suggested that Paramount is unwilling to spend more than $40 million on a sequel ("Anchorman 2" would've come in around $70 million) which, depending on the scope and size of the script, could be an issue. As Stiller revealed back in January, the sequel is largely set in Europe. "....It's ten years later and most of it is set in Europe. I don't want to give away too much, but it's basically Derek and Hansel ten years later –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," Stiller said. We're pretty sure there are studios around town who would jump at the chance to have Stiller and Ferrell paired up again in a movie. As for Paramount, they haven't had the greatest success lately with (expensive) comedies. "Dinner For Schmucks" last summer cost just under $70 million, opened #2 at the box office and wound up with $90 million in sales. Not exactly the kind of numbers they would've wanted for a summer movie. But when they have lower budgeted fare like "She's Out Of My League" ($48 million on a $20 million budget) or "Jackass 3D" ($170 million on a $20 million budget) the stakes are lower and the rewards are greater.