Among the many myths that surround Terrence Malick is that he’s a big fan of Ben Stiller‘s “Zoolander.” The story goes that he quotes from the movie and watches it regularly, and the reclusive filmmaker also programmed the movie last spring as part of the Philbrook Museum of Art’s “Films on the Lawn” series in Tulsa, Oklahoma. But, does Malick really like that film?
The answer appears to be yes, though Ben Stiller hasn’t heard it from the filmmaker first hand. As he related at the Film Society Of Lincoln Center in December, following a screening of “Zoolander,” Stiller has heard that Malick likes the film — and confirm that he recorded a birthday greeting for the director in character — but never from the filmmaker himself. So, consider the trivia as confirmed as it’s ever going to get until Malick comes out and declares his love of the movie to the world, or gets a role in the developing sequel.
Speaking of which, Stiller confirmed that the script for “Zoolander 2” is finished but that the elements of timing, casting and budget haven’t come together yet. You can watch his full “Zoolander” Q&A after the Malick excerpt below. Or you can jump through the highlights of the talk which touch upon “The Cable Guy,” “Heavyweights” and more.