Zoolander

Zoolander is a 2001 American satirical comedy film directed by Ben Stiller and starring Stiller, Owen Wilson and Will Ferrell. The film contains elements from a pair of short films directed by Russell Bates and written by Drake Sather and Stiller for the VH1 Fashion Awards television specials in 1996 and 1997. The short films and the film itself feature a dimwitted male model named Derek Zoolander, played by Stiller. The film involves Zoolander becoming the pawn of corrupt fashion executives in order to assassinate the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

A satire on the fashion industry, the film received generally positive reviews from critics and was a box office success. A sequel, Zoolander 2, was released on February 12, 2016.

Plot

The dim-witted but good-natured Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) is ousted as the top male fashion model by the rising star Hansel (Owen Wilson), and his reputation is further tarnished by a critical article from journalist Matilda Jeffries (Christine Taylor). After his three roommates and colleagues are killed in a "freak gasoline-fight accident", Derek announces his retirement from modeling and attempts to reconnect with his father Larry (Jon Voight) and brothers Luke (Vince Vaughn) and Scrappy (Judah Friedlander) by helping in the coal mines. Derek's delicate methods make him an impractical miner, and his family rejects him.

Zoolander 2

Zoolander 2 (also known as Zoolander No. 2 and 2oolander) is a 2016 American comedy film directed by Ben Stiller and written by John Hamburg, Justin Theroux, Stiller, and Nick Stoller. It is the sequel to the 2001 film Zoolander and stars Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Penélope Cruz, Kristen Wiig, and Fred Armisen. Filming took place from April to July of 2015 in Rome, Italy. The film was released on February 12, 2016, by Paramount Pictures.

Plot

When the "world's most beautiful people" are systematically assassinated with formerly famous male model Derek Zoolander's trademark "Blue Steel" look on their face, Fashion Interpol recruits Derek and his friend Hansel McDonald to infiltrate a new and different world of high fashion in order to put a stop to it. Meanwhile, Derek's rival Jacobim Mugatu is set free and is seeking revenge.

Cast

Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures Corporation (commonly known as Paramount Studios or simply Paramount, and formerly known as Famous Players-Lasky Corporation) is a film studio, television production company and motion picture distributor, consistently ranked as one of the "Big Six" film studios of Hollywood. It is a subsidiary of U.S. media conglomerate Viacom. Paramount is a member of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

In 2014, Paramount Pictures became the first major Hollywood studio to distribute all of its films in digital-form only.

Paramount is the fifth oldest surviving film studio in the world, and America's oldest running studio, founded in 1912.

History

1911–1920: Early history

Paramount is the fifth oldest surviving film studio in the world after the French studios Gaumont Film Company (1895) and Pathé (1896), followed by the Nordisk Film company (1906), and Universal Studios (1912). It is the last major film studio still headquartered in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles.

Ben Stiller

Benjamin Edward Meara "Ben" Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and the late Anne Meara.

After beginning his acting career with a play, Stiller wrote several mockumentaries, and was offered his own show entitled The Ben Stiller Show, which he produced and hosted for its 13-episode run. Having previously acted in television, he began acting in films; he made his directorial debut with Reality Bites. Throughout his career he has written, starred in, directed, and/or produced more than 50 films, including The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Zoolander, Zoolander No. 2, The Cable Guy, There's Something About Mary, the Meet the Parents trilogy, DodgeBall, Tropic Thunder, the Madagascar series, and the Night at the Museum trilogy. In addition, he has had multiple cameos in music videos, television shows, and films.

Stiller is a member of a group of comedic actors colloquially known as the Frat Pack. His films have grossed more than $2.6 billion in Canada and the United States, with an average of $79 million per film. Throughout his career, he has received multiple awards and honors, including an Emmy Award, multiple MTV Movie Awards and a Teen Choice Award.