In my humble opinion, the 2001 film Zoolander is one of the funniest movies ever made. Ben Stiller co-wrote, directed, and starred in the fashion industry parody, while getting significant help from co-stars Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, and his real life wife Christine Taylor. Now, fifteen years later, all of them are coming back for Zoolander 2, an idea that initially had me pretty worried after seeing the similarly long-delayed sequels for Anchorman and Dumb and Dumber, two of my other personal favorites, fail to even come close to the quality of their predecessors. But the trailer for Zoolander 2 actually looks funny, which gives me hope, and it also features a ton of celebrity cameos, which makes it interesting. But just how many celebrity cameos will Zoolander 2 feature?
The short answer? A ton. In addition to new cast members like Kristen Wiig and Penelope Cruz, the trailer also reveals appearances by Justin Bieber, Benedict Cumberbatch, and SNL's Kyle Mooney, among others. But they're just the tip of the iceberg. Some more familiar faces from the first Zoolander are set to appear, as well as stars from the comedy world, major music stars, famous actors, athletes, and of course, Kim Kardashian. So get excited, because here are all of the suspected Zoolander 2 cameos that are known so far.
1. Justin Bieber
Bieber features prominently in the trailer as the victim of an assassination, and Cruz's character explains that he's the latest target in a plan to eliminate the world's most beautiful people.
2, 3, 4, 5: Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, Usher, & Lenny Kravitz
Also killed by this plot are these four famous musicians. Their faces are all seen in the trailer on a screen, having already been offed, so it's not known if their cameos extend further than their photos.
6. Benedict Cumberbatch
The English actor with the cult following looks to have an extended cameo as an androgynous model named All, a symbol of the modern modeling world that Derek Zoolander and Hansel no longer fit into.
7. Macaulay Culkin
IMDb lists the former Home Alone star as a member of the cast playing himself. If true, it would be his first appearance in a movie since 2007.
8, 9. Kyle Mooney & Beck Bennett
The SNL co-stars and fellow Good Neighbors both have roles in the film, with Mooney appearing throughout the trailer in what is likely a good-sized role.
10. Fred Armisen
Speaking of SNL, former star Armisen has the mysterious role of the "VIP". I'm on board with it.
11. Billy Zane
The main villain from Titanic (well, other than the iceberg) is likely playing himself, just as he did in Zoolander.
12. Susan Sarandon
The legendary actress revealed in an interview with Vulture that she filmed a scene for the movie, but it's unknown whom she'll be playing.
13. Ariana Grande
The pop star has tried to keep mum about her cameo, but Sarandon let slip that the two of them worked together on the film.
14. Kanye West
Will Ferrell reportedly requested that Stiller find a spot for Yeezy in the film after working with him on Anchorman 2.
15. Kim Kardashian
Not surprisingly, West asked if Stiller could find a spot for his famous wife as well. I'm going to take a stab in the dark and guess that both she and her rapper husband are playing themselves.
16. Nathan Lee Graham
Mugatu's tortured assistant from the first film, Todd, is set to return, and is still getting doused with hot lattes in the trailer.
17. Katy Perry
The "Fireworks" singer is unconfirmed to appear, but she told Forbes she was in Italy shooting a movie cameo at the same time Zoolander 2 was filming in Rome, so you do the math.
18. Willie Nelson
Apparently, the 82-year-old country star is good pals with Owen Wilson. So when Wilson asked him to be in the film, he obliged.
19. Lewis Hamilton
Race car driver and socialite dater Hamilton is a big time celeb in Europe, so naturally the Rome-based film had a role for him.
20. Olivia Munn
The Newsroom star was photographed on set alongside Hamilton, as the two of them sat in the front row at a fashion show.
21. Justin Theroux?
Though he hasn't been rumored to appear, Theroux co-wrote the script and cameoed in the original film, so an on-screen appearance seems likely.
And these are just the cameos that have been reported on, there could still be others that never got out. So even if Zoolander 2 doesn't end up being any good (though I think it will), it could still set some sort of record for most cameos ever in a movie. And that's something, right?
Images: Paramount Pictures; giphy
