Ben Stiller is the comic actor who is notoriously prickly about his reputation as such. Certainly it seems that he is irked by the lack of recognition for his straight acting, and the paucity of regular films he seems to be offered. Never-the-less, no matter what aptitude Stiller does actually have for dramatic roles, few will argue he is a natural comic presence, and his comic roles have made him among the most consistently well remunerated actors in Hollywood over the past ten years, since what many to be his ultimate creation, the idiotic but really, really good-looking, Derek Zoolander. The self-written and directed film was a resounding success and was the beginning of a number of collaborations between Stiller and co-star
Owen Wilson. A sequel has long been speculated, and as little as two months ago the actor stated that the Justin Theroux (Tropic Thunder, Iron Man 2) script was in the studios possession and he was waiting for a response. Things appear to have moved on apace however, as
speaking with Closer magazine, Stiller asserted that production had already begun;
"We're filming the Zoolander sequel at the moment. Derek's going to be back: bigger and better than before - no catwalk is safe! Its 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.
Yup, Owen Wilson has agreed to a return and
Will Ferrell will also reprise baddie Jacobim Mugatu. Presumably, as we haven't heard otherwise, Stiller is himself directing again? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1krvnjzV4w Because of the well remembered 2001 cult comedy, the sequel is bound to have enormous interest and expectation around the time of its release, and Stiller has set himself an immense standard with the original movie, but it will afford him the opportunity to claw back a great deal of the critical goodwill that has been lost with the latest in the ever diminishing series of Fockers movies. Blue Steel should be returning to the big-screen next year.