Zoolander is a 2001 American
satirical comedy film directed by
Ben Stiller and starring Stiller,
Owen Wilson and
Will Ferrell. The film contains elements from a pair of short films directed by Russell Bates and written by
Drake Sather and Stiller for the
VH1 Fashion Awards television specials in 1996 and 1997. The short films and the film itself feature a dimwitted male
model named Derek Zoolander, played by Stiller. The film involves Zoolander becoming the pawn of corrupt fashion executives in order to assassinate the
Prime Minister of Malaysia.