History Trivia / Zoolander2

** Creator/WillFerrell saw his career start sliding down when this film tanked, with ''Film/HolmesAndWatson'' two years later providing a super effective double tap. His film career since has mostly consisted of cameos and supporting roles at best. He did return to leading roles again starting with the 2020 comedies ''Downhill'' and ''Film/EurovisionSongContestTheStoryOfFireSaga'' and continuing with the 2023 black comedy film ''Film/Strays2023'', all of which got mixed reviews from viewers. He has, however, reclaimed a good amount of star power thanks to his supporting role as the Mattel CEO in Greta Gerwig's ''Film/Barbie2023'', which was critically acclaimed and thus far has grossed over a billion dollars in box office revenue.

* BoxOfficeBomb: On a $50 million budget, it made near exactly half and half domestically and overseas, earning $28.8 million domestic and $27.9 million overseas for a total of $56.7 million, barely outgrossing the original's ''domestic'' returns. This can be attributed to poor reviews, but also having the unfortunate '''exact same release date''' as ''{{Film/Deadpool}}''. While the Merc with a Mouth was expected to beat him the whole time, almost nobody expected just how much he would '''explode''' on the scene, with ''Zoolander 2'' finishing a distant number ''4'' and effectively disintegrated in the following weeks.

* BoxOfficeBomb: On a $50 million budget, it made near exactly half and half domestically and overseas, earning $28.8 million domestic and $27.9 million overseas for a total of $56.7 million, barely outgrossing the original's ''domestic'' returns. This can be attributed to poor reviews, but also having the unfortunate '''exact same release date''' as ''{{Film/Deadpool}}''. While the Merc with a Mouth was expected to beat him the whole time, almost nobody expected just how much he would '''explode''' on the scene, with Zoolander finishing a distant number ''4'' and effectively disintegrated in the following weeks.

** Creator/WillFerrell saw his career start sliding down when this film tanked, with ''Film/HolmesAndWatson'' two years later providing a super effective double tap. His film career since has mostly consisted of cameos and supporting roles besides leading roles in the 2020 comedies ''Downhill'' and ''Film/EurovisionSongContestTheStoryOfFireSaga'' and the 2023 comedy ''Film/Strays2023'', all of which got a mixed reception from viewers. However, he has had a supporting role in ''Film/Barbie2023'' as the Mattel CEO, which did get positive reviews, so his career might be going back up.

** Creator/WillFerrell saw his career start sliding down when this film tanked, with ''Film/HolmesAndWatson'' two years later providing a super effective double tap. His film career since has mostly consisted of cameos and, at best, supporting besides leading roles in the 2020 comedies ''Downhill'' and ''Film/EurovisionSongContestTheStoryOfFireSaga'' and the 2023 comedy ''Film/Strays'', all of which got a mixed reception from viewers.

** Creator/WillFerrell saw his career start sliding down when this film tanked, with ''Film/HolmesAndWatson'' two years later providing a super effective double tap. His film career since has mostly consisted of cameos besides leading roles in the 2020 comedies ''Downhill'' and ''Film/EurovisionSongContestTheStoryOfFireSaga'', both of which got a mixed reception from viewers.

* DuelingMovies: As mentioned above, the film would release competing against fellow comedy ''Deadpool''... and got ''absolutely '''curb-stomped''''' in the process.

* BoxOfficeBomb: On a $50 million budget, it made near exactly half and half domestically and overseas, earning $28.8 million domestic and $27.9 million overseas for a total of $56.7 million, barely outgrossing the original's ''domestic'' returns. This can be attributed to having the unfortunate exact same release date as {{Film/Deadpool}}. While the Merc with a Mouth was expected to beat him the whole time, almost nobody expected just how much it would '''explode''' on the scene, with Zoolander finishing a distant number ''4'' and effectively disintegrated in the following weeks.

** Sergio Gutiérrez Coto, Creator/OwenWilson's recurring voice actor, replaced Creator/RaulAnaya as Hansel [=McDonald=]. Oddly enough, Anaya himself would replace Israel Magaña as Jacobim Mugatu, since Magaña moved to Cuernavaca in 2009.

* OldShame: Creator/BenedictCumberbatch [[https://variety.com/2022/film/news/benedict-cumberbatch-non-binary-zoolander-2-backfired-1235165617/ said]] in a January 2022 ''Variety'' Actors on Actors with co-star Creator/PenelopeCruz that had the film been made today, he wouldn't have played All, believing that the role should be played by a trans actor or a non-binary actor instead.
** Creator/BenStiller [[https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a39139152/ben-stiller-severance-profile/ said]] in a February 2022 interview with ''Esquire'' that he was glad the film flopped by saying that had the film performed well at the box office, then he wouldn't have been able to pursue doing more serious, non-comedic work such as the critically acclaimed ''Series/EscapeAtDannemora'' and ''Series/Severance2022''.

** Creator/WillFerrell saw his career start sliding down when this film tanked, with ''Film/HolmesAndWatson'' two years later providing a super effective double tap.

* BoxOfficeBomb: Budget, $55 million. Box office, $28.8 million (domestic), $56.7 million (worldwide). Sure, that's ''barely'' above the budget, but budgets don't incorporate marketing costs and the studio only gets a percentage of the box office take (and a lesser percentage overseas). All the promotions and ads Paramount hyped this with, including Stiller and Wilson cameoing on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' the weekend before release, were ultimately AllForNothing, since Paramount ended up releasing it ''the '''exact same day''''' as ''Film/{{Deadpool}}''. While that movie had been expected to win the weekend, few would've predicted just ''how much'' the Merc with A Mouth would blow up and dominate the box office, with ''Zoolander 2'' finishing in ''fourth'' place and never recovering from there.

* YouSoundFamiliar: In the Latin American Spanish dub, Jacobim Mugatu is voiced by Raúl Anaya, who voiced Hansel [=McDonald=] in the first film.

** Sergio Gutiérrez Coto, Creator/OwenWilson's recurring voice actor, replaced Raúl Anaya as Hansel [=McDonald=]. Oddly enough, Anaya himself would replace Israel Magaña as Jacobim Mugatu, since Magaña moved to Cuernavaca in 2009.
** Hermán López replaced César Izaguirre as Maury Ballstein, as Izaguirre died of a heart attack in 2015.

** Creator/BenStiller [[https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a39139152/ben-stiller-severance-profile/ said]] in a February 2022 interview with ''Esquire'' that he was glad the film flopped by saying that had the film performed well at the box office, then he wouldn't have been able to pursue doing more serious, non-comedic work such as the critically acclaimed ''Series/EscapeAtDannemora'' and ''Series/{{Severance}}''.

** Its failure harmed the career of Creator/BenStiller, though moreso as a movie star than his overall career in Hollywood. Although Stiller had success in the late '90s and early '00s, most of his movies in the early '10s, like ''Film/TheWatch2012'' and ''Film/TheSecretLifeOfWalterMitty'', either flopped or underperformed. Looking at the box office receipts for most of his work till then, it isn't hard to infer ''Film/Zoolander2'' was probably his attempt to WinBackTheCrowd. Once it bombed critically and financially, he has hardly acted on film besides independent ones such as ''Brad's Status'' and ''Film/TheMeyerowitzStories''. On television, he guest starred on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' and later reprised his role as Tony Wonder on ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment''. However, he has had success as a director and a producer with the critically acclaimed ''Series/EscapeAtDannemora'' and ''Series/{{Severance}}''.

* BoxOfficeBomb: Budget, $55 million. Box office, $28.8 million (domestic), $56.7 million (worldwide). Sure, that's ''barely'' above the budget, but budgets don't incorporate marketing costs and the studio only gets a percentage of the box office take (and a lesser percentage overseas). All the promotions and ads Paramount hyped this with, including Stiller and Wilson cameoing on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' the weekend before release, were ultimately AllForNothing, since Paramount ended up releasing it ''the exact same day'' as ''Film/{{Deadpool}}''. While that movie had been expected to win the weekend, few would've predicted just ''how'' much the Merc with A Mouth would dominate, with ''Zoolander 2'' finishing in ''fourth'' place and never recovering from there.

* BoxOfficeBomb: Budget, $55 million. Box office, $28.8 million (domestic), $56.7 million (worldwide). Sure, that's ''barely'' above the budget, but budgets don't incorporate marketing costs and the studio only gets a percentage of the box office take (and a lesser percentage overseas). All the promotions and ads Paramount hyped this with, including Stiller and Wilson cameoing on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' the weekend before release, were ultimately AllForNothing, since Paramount ended up releasing it ''the exact same day'' as ''Film/{{Deadpool}}''. While that movie had been expected to win the weekend, few, especially Paramount, would predict just ''how'' much the Merc with A Mouth would dominate, with ''Zoolander 2'' finishing in ''fourth'' place and never recovering from there.

* BoxOfficeBomb: Budget, $55 million. Box office, $28.8 million (domestic), $56.7 million (worldwide). Sure, that's ''barely'' above the budget, but budgets don't incorporate marketing costs and the studio only gets a percentage of the box office take (and a lesser percentage overseas). All the promotions and ads Paramount hyped this with, including Stiller and Wilson cameoing on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' the weekend before release, were ultimately AllForNothing, since Paramount ended up releasing it ''the exact same day'' as ''Film/Deadpool(2016)''. While that movie had been expected to win the weekend, few, especially Paramount, would predict just ''how'' much the Merc with A Mouth would dominate, with ''Zoolander 2'' finishing in ''fourth'' place and never recovering from there.

* BoxOfficeBomb: Budget, $55 million. Box office, $28.8 million (domestic), $56.7 million (worldwide). Sure, that's ''barely'' above the budget, but budgets don't incorporate marketing costs and the studio only gets a percentage of the box office take (and a lesser percentage overseas). All the promotions and ads Paramount hyped this with, including Stiller and Wilson cameoing on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' the weekend before release, were ultimately AllForNothing, since Paramount ended up releasing it ''the exact same day'' as ''Film/{{Deadpool (2016)}}''. While that movie had been expected to win the weekend, few, especially Paramount, would predict just ''how'' much the Merc with A Mouth would dominate, with ''Zoolander 2'' finishing in ''fourth'' place and never recovering from there.

* BoxOfficeBomb: Budget, $55 million. Box office, $28.8 million (domestic), $56.7 million (worldwide). Sure, that's ''barely'' above the budget, but budgets don't incorporate marketing costs and the studio only gets a percentage of the box office take (and a lesser percentage overseas).

* CreatorKiller:
** ''Zoolander 2'' was one of the first films in Paramount's 2016 slate that combined with a reconciliation between Viacom supershareholder Sumner Redstone and daughter Shari, a shareholder revolt from them, and several bad financial missteps to cause both Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman and Paramount CEO Brad Grey to resign.
** It did this to Ben Stiller as well, at least as an A-list movie star. While Stiller had a lot of success in the late 90's and early 00's, most of his movies in the early 10's, like ''Film/TheWatch2012'' and ''Film/TheSecretLifeOfWalterMitty'', either flopped or underperformed. Looking at the box office receipts for most of his 2010s work, it's hard not to infer this was probably his attempt to WinBackTheCrowd. Once it bombed critically and financially, he has hardly acted since, only acting in independent movies, like ''Film/BradsStatus'' and ''Film/TheMeyerowitzStories'', and guest spots on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' and ''Series/MayaAndMarty'' as well as reprising his role as Tony Wonder on ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment''. However, he has had success as a director, directing the critically acclaimed miniseries ''Series/EscapeAtDannemora'' and he's been busy at work as a producer.

* CreatorKiller: ''Zoolander 2'' was one of the first films in Paramount's 2016 slate that combined with a reconciliation between Viacom supershareholder Sumner Redstone and daughter Shari, a shareholder revolt from them, and several bad financial missteps to cause both Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman and Paramount CEO Brad Grey to resign.

** Laura Torres replaced Gabriela Gómez as Katinka Ingabogovinanana due to Gómez retiring from acting in 2013. Gómez has since resumed her acting career.