Zoolander(2001)

Paramount Pictures

1h 30m

Release Date: Sep 28, 2001 | Wide

C+
6.5

At the end of his career, a clueless fashion model is brainwashed to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Releases

Original Release | Sep 28, 2001

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Box Office Results

Updated as of May 12, 2026 11:42 AM ET

Results

Opening Weekend US & Canada:
$15,525,043
Total US & Canada:
$45,172,250
Total International
$15,608,731
Total Worldwide:
$60,789,051

Current Showtimes

Your Location or

(U.S. Only)

Director & Top Cast

Ben Stiller
Director

Ben Stiller
Derek Zoolander

Owen Wilson
Hansel

Christine Taylor
Matilda Jeffries

Will Ferrell
Mugatu

Milla Jovovich
Katinka

Jerry Stiller

Maury Ballstein

David Duchovny

J.P. Prewitt

Jon Voight

Larry Zoolander

Judah Friedlander

Scrappy Zoolander

Nathan Lee Graham

Todd

Alexandre Manning

Brint

Asio Highsmith

Rufus

Alexander Skarsgård

Meekus

Donald Trump

Christian Slater

Tom Ford

Cuba Gooding Jr.

Technical Specifications

Sound Mix: DTS,Dolby Digital,SDDS

Aspect Ratio: 2.39 : 1

Other Details

Country of Origin: Germany,United States

Language: English

Summaries

Plot Summary

The Prime Minister of Malaysia (Woodrow Asai) vows to raise sub-standard minimum wages across the country and end child labor once and for all. The bosses of all the major fashion houses have all their inventory tied up in Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries. They believe that the changes in Malaysia will soon spread to other countries and the fashion houses will be out of business in less than a year. The Malaysian PM is arriving in New York in 14 days and Mugatu (a fashion designer) is tasked with assassinating him. Mugatu it told to invite the PM to fashion week as a guest of honor and assassinate him there. They need a beautiful, but dim-witted assassin who can be manipulated easily.The dim-witted but good-nature Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) is ousted as the top male fashion model by the rising star, Hansel (Owen Wilson). Derek was competing for his 4th straight Male Model of the Year award and Hansel is a rookie, who is very casual and informal about the fashion industry and doesn't take it too seriously. The award is announced to Hansel, and yet Derek gets up goes to the podium, accepts the award and even starts making a speech, embarrassing himself.Meanwhile, fashion mogul Jacobim Mugatu (Will Ferrell), and model agent Maury Ballstein (Jerry Stiller) are working on finding a model who can be brainwashed into becoming an assassin. They see Derek on stage and find him to be the perfect candidate for their mission.Derek's reputation is further tarnished by a critical article from journalist Matilda Jeffries (Christine Taylor). Derek has his signature looks like Blue Steel, Ferrari and Le Tigre. He has been working on his look called Magnum for the last 8 or 9 years. Derek is really mad at Matilda, who says that it was her editor who changed the story that made Derek look stupid.Derek's three flat mates and colleagues Meekus (Alexander Skarsgard), Rufus and Brint are killed in a "freak gasoline-fight accident". The friends had gone out to take Derek's mind away from his loss, and ended up at a gas station where they started a gasoline fight instead of a water fight. Derek had stepped away when he saw a man throw a magazine with his photo on the cover in a trash can, and hence survived. Maury reaches out to Derek and presents an offer from Mugatu to work with him in his new fashion show. Mugatu has never signed Derek for an assignment before.Derek announces his retirement from modeling and attempts to reconnect with his father Larry (Jon Voight) and brothers Scrappy (Judah Friedlander) & Luke (Vince Vaughn) by helping in the coal mines in Southern New Jersey. Derek's delicate methods make him an impractical miner, and his family rejects him. Derek complained of getting a black lung after spending just 1 day in the mine.Derek returns to New York and accepts Mugatu's offer to star in the next runway show. Mugatu takes Derek to his headquarters, masked as a day spa, where Derek is conditioned to attempt the assassination when the song "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood is played. Matilda, who felt partially responsible for Derek's retirement, is suspicious of Mugatu's offer, and tipped off by an anonymous caller, tries to enter the spa, but is thrown out. Matilda tries to voice her concerns to Derek once he leaves, but he ignores her.Matilda follows Derek to a Pre-runway show, where he loses to Hansel in a "walk-off" judged by David Bowie. Matilda receives another anonymous call to meet at a nearby cemetery. Matilda along with Derek find the anonymous caller is hand model J.P. Prewett (David Duchovny), who explains that the fashion industry has been behind several political assassinations including Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, and the brainwashed models are soon killed after they have completed their task. Before J.P. can explain more, Katinka (Milla Jovovich), Mugatu's chief Henchwoman, and her aides attack the group, forcing Derek and Matilda to flee.They decide to go to Hansel's home, the last place they believe Mugatu will think to look, and Derek and Hansel resolve their differences while partaking of Hansel's collection of narcotics and participating in groups sex with Matilda and others. While recovering, Derek also finds that he is falling in love with Matilda. Derek and Hansel break into Maury's offices to find evidence of the assassination plot but cannot operate his computer to find them. Derek leaves for the show, Hansel following later with the computer in hand, believing that, as told to him by Matilda "the files are inside the computer".Matilda tries to intercept Derek before the show, but Katinka thwarts her attempt. As Derek takes the runway, Mugatu's disc jockey starts playing "Relax", activating Derek's mental programming. Before Derek can reach the Prime Minister, Hansel breaks into the DJ booth, and switches the music to Herbie Hancock's "Rockit", breaking Derek's conditioning. Hansel and the DJ have a brief fight before Hansel eventually unplugs the system, moments before Derek was about to snap the Prime Minister's neck.Mugatu attempts to cover up the incident, but Hansel offers Maury's computer as evidence, smashing it to the ground which he believes would release the incriminating files. Though the evidence is destroyed, Maury steps forward and reveals he had backed up the files, and offers to turn over the evidence of the assassination plot after years of guilt for his complicity in the conspiracy. Mugatu attempts to kill the Prime Minister himself, but Derek stops him by unleashing his ultimate model look, "Magnum", that stuns everyone. Mugatu is arrested, and Derek is thanked by the Prime Minister. In Derek's rural hometown, his father Larry watches the event on television, and proudly acknowledges Derek as his son.A few years later, Derek, Hansel, and Maury start "The Derek Zoolander Center for Kids Who Can't Read Good and Who Wanna Learn to Do Other Stuff Good Too". Derek and Matilda have a son named Derek Zoolander Jr., who has already developed his first modeling look.

Storyline

Derek Zoolander is VH1's three time male model of the year, but when Hansel wins the award instead, Zoolander's world becomes upside down. His friends disappear, his father is disappointed in him, and he feels that he's not good as a model anymore. But when evil fashion guru Mugatu hires Zoolander, he thinks his life has turned back round again, that is until he finds out that Mugatu has actually brainwashed him to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Can Zoolander and his new friends find out how to prevent the incident before it's too late? — FilmFanUK Without a doubt, the undisputed winner of three Male Model of the Year awards in a row, runway champion Derek Zoolander, is at the top of his game. And then, disaster strikes. With the bitter taste of failure still in his mouth, disillusioned veteran Derek is approached by flamboyant fashion mogul Mugatu to model for his new 'Derelicte' collection, only to find himself caught up in a sinister, elaborate assassination plot. Now, to make the world a better place for all models, Derek must put his impressive skill set to good use, and with the help of über-model Hansel and a handful of supporters, stop a well-planned conspiracy of international proportions. Will fashion icon Derek Zoolander fulfil his destiny? — Nick Riganas Male supermodel Derek Zoolander is on his way down after three years of continuously winning the "Male Model of the Year" award. When he is beaten by the hot newcomer Hansel, Derek starts searching for a new meaning in his life. Just then fashion czar Mugatu offers Derek a comeback in his new "Derelicte"-line. What nobody suspected is that Mugatu plans to assassinate the new Malaysian Prime Minister on his visit to New York, so that cheap child labor is still available for Mugatu's fashion producing. By brainwashing Zoolander, Mugatu and his evil associate Katinka create a dumb and willing killer to do the job. Only in Time Magazine journalist Matilda suspicion arises slowly, and she tries to stop Derek. — Julian Reischl <julianreischl@mac.com> Derek Zoolander, a dimwitted male model, feels threatened by the new and popular Hansel; after his friends and fellow models are killed in a freak gasoline fight, he announces his retirement from modeling. However, he is persuaded by Mugatu and his lackey, Katinka Inga Shanana, to lead their Derelicte fashion show. Unbeknownst to Derek, he had been brainwashed into killing the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Along the way, he befriends his former rival, Hansel, and Matilda, a reporter who defamed him; they eventually save him from Mugatu. — Anu H. 1 more See all