Everything you need to know about Zoolander 2: from the cast to the cameos

The really, really, really ridiculously good-looking people are back in a new film - and this time even Justin Bieber is going a Blue Steel. Susannah Butter joins the walk-off
Perfect pose: the cast of Zoolander 2

The fashion crowd is notoriously challenging to win over, but one sure-fire way to ingratiate yourself is with Blue Steel. Last night the world’s most beautiful people gathered on the blue carpet in Leicester Square for the comeback of the century, Zoolander’s return — or should that be 2oolander? After 15 years of leaving us hanging, still attempting the perfect pout, the sequel to the all-action fashion caper lands in cinemas next Friday. Last time we met Zoolander, people still ate gluten and Instagram hadn’t been invented, but these fine specimens haven’t aged a bit. In fact they look younger — perhaps orange mocha frappucinos are the secret to eternal wellness.

The film is already setting records. Ben Stiller was awarded a Guinness World Record certificate for taking a picture with the longest selfie stick. It was a proud moment. He held the 27ft device over his crew, and Valentino, Anaïs Gallagher, Kristen Wiig and Penélope Cruz craned their necks to make history, and the shot.

The afterparty at the W Hotel was full of people asking the big question: is there more to life than being really, really, really ridiculously good-looking? In the new film, those blessed with attractive genes are in danger of assassination. There are only two people who can help, formerly famous male model Derek Zoolander and his ex-rival Hansel McDonald.

Zoolander made $60.7 million worldwide in 2001. Its sequel is set to be bigger — Justin Bieber and an eyebrowless Benedict Cumberbatch are involved. The trailer has already been viewed more than 17 million times on YouTube. Before it’s out, let us be of service and tell you what you need to know so you can focus on the important things in life — practising your walk-offs. Cool story, bro.

The cast

The original gang is back together, in new outfits. As they say “fashion has changed”, but they are the same: Ben Stiller says that the trademark Zoolander pout has become his mirror face. He wrote the film with Justin Theroux (they worked together on Tropic Thunder and Theroux has a cameo here as an evil DJ) but Theroux’s wife, Jennifer Aniston, is absent. Instead, Zoolander (Stiller) is reunited with Hansel (Owen Wilson) and their taskmaster is Interpol agent Valentina (Penélope Cruz). “She’s hot, I trust her,” says Hansel when she chooses them to investigate a death plot against the world’s most beautiful people. But before that, they need to sort some catsuits.

Will Ferrell returns as the “bad to the core” Mugatu. He has two fetching peroxide-blond horns of hair, a piano-tie tattoo and he’s still having issues with his “goddamn latte”. It has a picture of him drawn in the foam. His accomplice is Alexanya Atoz, played by Kristen “KWiigz” Wiig, in a range of fine wigs and layers of make up that took four hours to apply every day. They filmed between April and July last year in Rome and there are plenty of videos of them larking around during the making of the movie.

The cameos

The first instalment set the bar for cameos high, with appearances from Claudia Schiffer, David Bowie, Gwen Stefani, Heidi Klum and, er, Donald Trump. No one draws in the celebrities like Zoolander.

This time, Julian Assange was Stiller’s first choice for a bit part. See, Zoolander has designs as a freedom fighter. He wanted Assange to be part of an orgy scene, tuning in via satellite link as an observer. Mr Wikileaks was keen too — he usually turns down film collaborations, even when Benedict Cumberbatch tried to charm him into one for the Wikileaks drama The Fifth Estate, but for Zoolander he made an exception. Wikileaks gave this statement: “Julian’s a fan of Ben’s films.”

But the pallid hacker couldn’t leave the Ecuadorian embassy for fear of arrest. Instead, they had to make do with Justin Bieber, who says the experience was “pretty cool”. The trailer shows him trying to escape assassins. “Oh fudge,” he says, before doing his best Blue Steel for a selfie with the words “peace out, world”. He barely has time to upload it to Instagram and choose a filter before he is killed. Traj. The only person who isn’t convinced by his performance is Stiller and Christine Taylor’s daughter Ella, 14. She said: “I get it, everyone loves Bieber but I’m not one of them.”

Other musical stylings come from Bieber collaborator Skrillex, and A$AP Rocky, who spits: “Hansel and Derek, I’m handsome, you jealous” on the song Relax. Rocky got his favourite actress Susan Sarandon on board for a scene and Willie Nelson, aged 82, has come out of retirement. He and Owen Wilson are neighbours in Maui, Hawaii, and play dominoes together. Kanye West is involved too, and he brought along his wife. Also look out for Anna Wintour’s moment — if anyone can put the dastardly Mugatu in his place it’s her.

Surely all this will give Karl Lagerfeld fomo. He turned down an appearance because “I’m not an actor”.

Star appearance: Justin Bieber

The controversy

Some LGBT activists do not want you to see this film. After a trailer was leaked in August they began a petition calling on people to boycott Zoolander 2 because of “offensive representation of non-binary individuals”. It has 24,200 signatures. They object to Benedict Cumberbatch’s character, a supermodel called All. When Zoolander asks, “Are you like a male model or a female model?”, Cumberbatch’s character replies, “All is All.” Hansel explains: “I think he’s asking, do you have a hot dog or a bun?” The petition calls All an “over-the-top, cartoonish mockery of androgyne/trans/non-binary individuals”, and the “modern equivalent of using blackface to represent a minority”.

Controversial character: Benedict Cumberbatch 

The parties

So you think you can walk? It’s a walk-off at Upstairs at The Ritzy’s Zoolander Partay next Friday. Gird your loins for the heat of Phoenix Fagbutt’s live performance.

In (Kanye) West London, The Little Yellow Door is hosting Magatu’s House Party. There will be a showing of the film, a yellow carpet to work your Blue Steel on and really, really ridiculously good-looking guests dancing to Relax every hour, on the hour. If you can’t get a goddamn latte, make do with Cîroc’s limited- edition tribute Blue Steel vodka and drink every time there’s a celebrity cameo or someone does the Magnum look. Mix with water because as the Z-man says: “Moisture is the essence of wetness, and wetness is the essence of beauty.”

Zoolander 2 London Premiere

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The fans

Vogue magazine appreciates DZ – they put VH1’s three-time male model of the year on the cover of this month’s American issue. He gives them a tour of his winter apartment and really opens up, telling them why he doesn’t sweat or text and revealing his thoughts about Brooklyn (“I really hope they find a cure”), why diversity is the best thing about living in New York (“You have really good-looking people, and also really attractive people”) to his favourite holiday (“my faith is very important to me, so I’d have to say, my birthday”).

He poses for the Vogue shoot with fellow members of modelling royalty: Joan Smalls, Jourdan Dunn and Gigi Hadid but says it was too awks for Cara Delevingne to join in after their three-hour relationship on Saturday.

They wooed each other with a walk-off under the Eiffel Tower and took plenty of selfies. She captioned one “#nevertouchedhisbutthole” as a tribute to Kanye West’s spat with Amber Rose. Zoolander showed off: “Exclusive: ‘Der-vigne’ are now a ‘thing’. In the coming months and years, I’ll be live-gramming my relationship. She’s a beautiful girl, not just on the outside. But also on the side side. Like in profile.” They “really speak to each other”, “like Cara speaks and he speaks back”.

Designers are into it too. Check out Marc Jacobs’s homage to the orange mocha frappuccino scene, filmed on a recent jolly in St Barts. It makes life easier.

Follow Susannah Butter on Twitter: @susannahbutter

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