Zoolander died and went to heaven in the movie’s original ending
Actor and director Ben Stiller reveals that his iconic character, Derek Zoolander, has passed away and has been sent to Heaven in his original ending for the film.
The 2001 comedy, Zoolander, originally featured an ending in which the film’s protagonist, Derek Zoolander, died and was sent to heaven. The film starred Ben Stiller as “really, really ridiculously beautifulMale model, Zoolander, who was famous for his “Blue Steel” look. Stiller also served as the director of the film, which contained elements of a pair of Russell Bates shorts that focused on a silly narcissistic male model during the VH1 Fashion Awards TV specials in 1996 and 1997.
While the film was widely criticized by critics upon its release, many called it “joke movieIt has always integrated into pop culture in many ways and has since developed a cult following. From ‘Blue Steel’ knockoffs to iconics Zoolander quotes, the fashion industry satire even featured plenty of celebrity cameos (like David Bowie) to win over fans. Despite the film’s reviews, he gained a devoted fan base that still celebrates him twenty years later. So much so that in 2016 the film spawned a sequel, Zoolander 2, which didn’t seem quite up to the standard of the original film, earning negative reviews from fans and critics alike. Apparently, this sequel could never have happened if Stiller had been able to film his original ending of the first film.
Thinking back to the twentieth anniversary of Zoolander, Stiller reveals to Squire its original ending. Stiller recalls that his ending saw Zoolander take on a high-speed train, in which he had to pull on his famous “Blue Steel” look to stop the train. However, Zoolander’s efforts fail and he ends up dying and ascending to heaven. See Stiller’s explanation of his original ending for Zoolander below:
“He has to shoot the ‘Blue Steel’ or ‘Magnum’ gaze on the train to stop it, and that doesn’t work. The train plows him and kills him, basically, and then he goes up to the sky.”
Stiller’s original ending for Zoolander was never filmed, in large part because of the studio that transmitted the idea. The studio did not find the ending of Stiller funny enough and wanted to go for a more “end of well-beingâ€To goof-ball comedy instead. While the studio hijacked the movie story of Zoolander’s death in the end of Stiller, the finished film still features a scene in which the male model’s best friends are killed in a “monster gasoline battle crash. Plus, given the plot of the film, a male model recruited to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Stiller’s exaggerated ending might fit the bill perfectly.
Still, had Stiller been successful, one of the film’s most iconic moments would not have been filmed, which ends with Zoolander questioning the size of his new “Center for Children Who Don’t Read Well”. Due to the gruesome nature of Stiller’s original ending, the studio wanted a happier ending for Zoolander. In the end, this decision was probably for the best.
Source: Squire
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