Christine Taylor to reprise role in ‘Zoolander 2’
Zoolander 2 continues to be the sequel that’s sort of happening but maybe not happening but, yes, actually happening.
Actress Christine Taylor confirmed to EW that she’ll reprise her role as journalist Matilda Jeffries in the sequel to the hit 2001 film, which followed lunkhead supermodel Derek Zoolander (Taylor’s husband, Ben Stiller) and his accidental adventures into the seedy, corrupt underworld of male modelling.
“I can tell you that I’m involved, but that’s all I can say,” Taylor tells EW. “I can tell you it’s happening, but I can’t tell you where Matilda’s at and where their relationship is at. It’s all top secret!”
At the end of the original film, model-hating journalist Matilda settles down and starts a family with Derek; their baby, Derek Jr., already shows early signs of following in his ridiculously good-looking father’s career footsteps.
A sequel to Zoolander has long been in some form of development, with bits and pieces of rumors about casting and production swirling for years. As recently as November 2014, it appeared that the film was in fact moving forward, with Penelope Cruz signing on opposite Stiller (who will direct from a script by Justin Theroux). Stiller and Stuart Cornfeld’s Red Hour Films will once again produce. Will Ferrell and Owen Wilson have also been rumored to reprise their roles as the villainous designer Mugatu and Derek’s rival model Hansel, respectively.
In a 2011 interview with Empire, Stiller briefly discussed the plot: “It’s ten years later and most of it is set in Europe…their lives have changed and they’re not really relevant anymore. It’s a new world for them. Will Ferrell is written into the script and he’s expressed interest in doing it. I think Mugatu is an integral part of the Zoolander story, so yes, he features in a big way.” (Take that plot description with a grain of salt, though—a lot can happen to a film script in four years.)