Ben Stiller Calls ‘Zoolander 2’ Failure ‘Blindsiding’: ‘It Affected Me for a Long Time’ (Exclusive)

25 comments

1. The first one was a mildly  successful movie that they decided to do a sequel to 15 years later and people are surprised it bombed? Lol the memes online made some people think that movie was bigger than it actually was in 2001

2. Did the movie even need a sequel?

3. It rehashed all the same jokes and he’s surprised?

4. It was brutal. Surprised it got released. If they don’t see this in the screening room they are just “yes” people.

5. I was in a packed movie theatre that did not laugh once during the film.

6. The only thing good about it was the cameos

7.  a male model’s life is a precious, precious commodity. Just because we have chiseled abs and stunning features, it doesn’t mean that we too can’t not die from short-lived relevance and popularity.

8. I thought it was fine. I laughed some and always enjoying seeing more of characters I like.
   Not even close to as good as the first though.

9. There was a Zoolander sequel??

10. Comedy sequels almost universally suck. I liked Ghostbusters 2, I guess. 

11. It’s the rule about waiting too long with sequels.

    Around 4-5 years is your last chance before you lose your audience.

12. Didn’t know it was a failure I liked it

13. I felt like the movie was just them having fun for the sake of themselves having fun. Which is fine, but they had to know that might not appeal to a wide audience. I appreciate Zoolander 2 as a pure money grab where they just goofed around. When you’re rich and successful and a studio wants to throw a ton of money at you and you just goof off and throw out shit, respect for the ability, but otherwise, I’m good.

14. It terms of comedy sequels— I thought it was pretty good.

    Miles better than Anchorman 2

15. Failed for the same reason Anchorman 2 did. It was rehashed jokes, unfunny cameos, and a dull story (not that anyone watched Anchorman or Zoolander for the amazing story, but still). My wife and I still quote Zoolander around the house, but I can’t for the life of me think of a single funny or quotable part from Zoolander 2. The only thing I remembered is it was about his son being chubby and body positivity. No idea why he thought that was going to be a winning message.

16. I’m sure Benedict Cumberbatch is okay with people forgetting Zoolander 2.

17. I have a hypothesis that sequels are better when released in quick succession rather than a decade or more apart. I may be wrong tho, so I don’t want to generalize

18. “I thought everybody wanted this,” Stiller said of the follow-up to the 2001 comedy, which was a box office success and widely quoted and memed. “And then it’s like, ‘Wow, I must have really f—ed this up. 

19. Honestly I would say Zoolander 2 bombing was a good thing because afterwards he did interesting things (as a director) like Escape at Dannemora and Severance. It forced him to make a necessary change in his career as a director.

20. I can’t be the only one who turned it right off after seeing the movie open with Justin Beiber. Then I eventually came back to the movie and… it was okay.

21. You just waited too long to make it

22. It’s like the second dumb and dumber to me. I think it was funny but compared to the original it’s not even close

23. Aw. I still really like Ben stiller even if that movie wasn’t great. Mike Myers had the same thing happen with the Love Guru, he went quiet for a while other than shrek and then did the pentaverate! Ben Stiller could of the same

24. It was 10 years too late. That’s what made it fail. Release it in 2006 and it would be fresh enough in audiences mind to give it a look. Imagine if The Hangover didn’t release their first (and perhaps only) sequel 15 years after it’s original premier? That would be this year.

25. I’m still hurt by this garbage too, Ben.