Tropic Thunder Review

Ben Stiller is currently doing the press rounds for his latest film Tower Heist, and that bodes well for us because he’s dropped some nuggets of info on some of his more anticipated projects. At the top of the list is the Zoolander sequel that he’s been working on. He wrote the script last year with Tropic Thunder scribe Justin Theroux, and while we knew that the project would pick up years later in Europe with Zoolander and Owen Wilson’s Hansel dealing with the effects of old age, no other plot details were known. Now the actor has teased what the plot of the film will involve, and it’s pretty perfect. Hit the jump to see what he had to say, including updates on a third Night at the Museum and the possibility of a fourth film in the Meet the Parents franchise.

Speaking with THR, Stiller revealed that Zoolander 2 has actually been in development for a while, and at one time he walked away from the project and they had someone else working on the script. Not to fear though, the draft they’re running with is the one Stiller and Theroux cooked up, and the plot is as follows:

“The story will pick up 10 years after the first film left off and, Derek’s ‘School For Kids Who Can’t Read Good’ has been destroyed, leaving him in charge of its pupil.”

It’s a pretty ridiculous/fantastic jumping off point, and I’m eager to see what else is in store for everyone’s favorite male model. Hopefully Paramount will take a hint from the overwhelming reaction to the character’s recent appearance on SNL that there’s a large audience itching to buy a ticket for Zoolander 2.

Stiller also revealed that he has an idea already in place for a third film in Shawn Levy’s Night at the Museum franchise. However, it appears that the atrocious Little Fockers was the final nail in the coffin of the unnecessary Meet the Parents franchise. Stiller said that there are currently no plans for a fourth film. Fine by me, as the sequels stretched the premise from the first film (which I really liked) way too thin.

Stiller is currently filming the comedy Neighborhood Watch alongside Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill, and is attached to star in and direct The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. He also recently signed on to direct the horror film The Mountain from Reality Bites scribe Helen Childress.