The strangest part about this news is that it comes to me as I sit in my living room, watching the original Zoolander.

Did anyone even know a sequel was a possibility?

Regardless, perezhilton.com reports that a Zoolander sequel has been axed by Paramount Pictures. Turns out the studio does not want to fund the film, and apparently it’s not just Derek Zoolander that is not feeling the love.

Ben Stiller, the Blue Steel man himself, took to his Twitter account to break the news, tweeting: “Ron Burgundy and Derek Zoolander looking to appear in sequels. Both men destitute, without means or intellect to fund their own comebacks.”

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m more saddened by the refusal to fund a second Anchorman. Afternoon delight!

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We wait for it all year, and no it’s not Christmas time. But it is Time’s 100 World’s Most Influential People, and this year some of our favorites made the cut.

Hollywood stars Lady Gaga, Conan O’Brien and Kathryn Bigelow were the top three in the artist section and others like Taylor Swift, Ashton Kutcher and Robert Pattinson closely followed behind. Sandra Bullock, Lea Michele and Marc Jacobs were also on the list.

There were some obvious ones like Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Bill Clinton. Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva topped the leaders list.

Ben Stiller was near the top of the heroes list for his charity StillerStrong.org, to help build schools in Haiti.

So is it fair to put Lady Gaga in a list with Barack Obama? Her fashion sense was only a small part of why the magazine put her on the list. “Lady Gaga’s art captures the period we’re in right now,” they say.

A young 20-year-old Taylor Swift made the list and Stevie Nicks reminded us why. “Taylor is writing for the universal woman and for the man who wants to know her…It’s women like her who are going to save the music business.”

It’s also a time when other celebrities actually have nice things to say about one another. Here are a few other stars weighing in on the list, according to E! Online.

Olivia Newton-John credits Michele with “inspiring young people to get involved in musical programs in schools and encouraging communities to fund them.”

New Moon director Chris Weitz raved about Pattinson, describing him as seeming “to answer Freud’s rhetorical question, ‘What do women want?’ “

Sean “Diddy” Combs was gracious about his friend Kutcher. “Most people use it to promote themselves, but [Ashton] uses Twitter to connect, to strike up conversations, to send positive messages to the millions of people who read his words. This guy will show us the future. And it’s gonna be a blast.”

See the whole list at Time.com

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Ben Stiller has played nearly a hundred different characters throughout his career.

Anyone who’s seen one of his movies knows many of Stiller’s films are comedies featuring slapstick humour (just take a look at the first 10 minutes of “There’s Something About Mary”). There’s no such humour in “Greenberg.” In fact, it’s barely a comedy at all compared to Stiller’s previous projects.

The film tells the story of Roger Greenberg (played by Stiller), a 40-something musician-turned-carpenter who’s recovering from a serious breakdown. Roger has a talent few people possess: writing crafty letters of complaint about minor issues.

Some people go out of their way to do something. Roger goes out of his way to do nothing (or so he claims).

He returns to Los Angeles after spending 15 years in New York to take care of his brother’s lavish hillside house while he’s on vacation with his family. During his time in L.A., Roger starts working on a dog house for his brother’s pet, contacts some old friends and starts a romance with Florence Marr (Greta Gerwig), his brother’s personal assistant who’s almost 20 years his senior.

Their relationship is unconventional to say the least and just like their bond, it’s difficult to pinpoint this movie. It switches from comedy to drama in a matter of minutes, but this back and fourth only makes it interesting.

Oscar-nominee Noah Baumbach (“Margot at the Wedding,” “The Squid and the Whale”) knows how to tell a refreshing story. He definitely got Stiller out of his comfort zone. There’s no slapstick comedy or “blue steel” poses in “Greenberg.”

Few films capture friendship like this one. Roger’s friendship with old pal Ivan Schrank (Rhys Ifans) has depth. Their dynamic is completely different from bromances in films like “I love You, Man.”

The cinematography by Harris Savides is refreshing as well. He captures a more realistic, unglamorous version of L.A. – smog and all – and still manages to maker the city appealing to the eye.

Warts and all, Roger offers some great insights into the world. At a gathering with old childhood friends he says, “All the men out here dress like children.” It’s these little gems that make “Greenberg” worth while.

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Apparently Ben Stiller is trying to get huge with Twitter and is trying to Mooch Ryan Seacrest. See below for proof:

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Ben Stiller will be honoured at next week’s MTV Movie Awards with the MTV Generation Award, joining the ranks of such past recipients as Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey, Mike Myers and Tom Cruise.

In a statement Friday, the network lauded the actor for pushing the boundaries throughout his career.

“From ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ to ‘Zoolander,’ Ben is a comedic chameleon, able to make the leap between drama and full-out comedy while maintaining his own unique brand of subversive humor,” Van Toffler, president of MTV Networks Music/Logo/Film Group, said.

“Whether it’s fighting a monkey in a museum or licking a decapitated head, nothing is ever off-limits for him and that’s the type of warped creative vision and commitment MTV loves to reward.”

Stiller said he was honoured to be receiving the award.

“I was given my first show at MTV, and also canceled for the first time,” he said. “I also was secretly having an affair with [original MTV VJ] J.J. Jackson, so it brings back pleasant memories.”

Stiller’s film credits include “Reality Bites,” “There’s Something About Mary,” “Meet the Parents,” “Zoolander,” “Tropic Thunder” and the just-released “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.”

“High School Musical” star Zac Efron will present Stiller with the honour at the awards show, which is set to take place May 31 in Universal City, Calif.

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“Grindhouse” may have bombed at the box office, but it has had a lasting impression.

According to SlashFilm.com, the new Ben Stiller movie, “Tropic Thunder” will feature fake trailers. The idea is taken from the Tarantino-Rodriguez collaboration.

According to the site’s source, one of the trailers is for a faux film called “Satan’s Alley” and featured Robert Downey, Jr. (who stars in “Tropic Thunder”) and Tobey Maguire.

The fake “Grindhouse” trailers were so popular that one of them, “Machete,” is actually being made into a full-length film.

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BEN STILLER and SCARLETT JOHANSSON have been announced as the recipients of this year’s Hasty Pudding awards, handed out by students at Harvard University.

The pair will be honoured with a fancy dress parade, followed by a performance by Harvard’s student drama group, in which they’ll take part.

Johansson will be feted on February 15, while funnyman Stiller will be honoured at a ceremony on February 23.

The annual awards are given to performers who have made a “lasting and impressive contribution to the world of entertainment.”

Last year’s Hasty Pudding recipients were HALLE BERRY and RICHARD GERE.

(c) 2007 WORLD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS NETWORK LTD. All global rights reserved. No unauthorized copying or re-distributing permitted.

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Ben Stiller was king of the box office over the holiday weekend as his new comedy, “Night at the Museum,” took top spot.

The movie, based on a children’s book, took in $30.8 million U.S. from Friday through Sunday, reports Reuters.

“Museum” was joined in the top three by another new opener, “Rocky Balboa.” The latest in Sylvester Stallone’s boxing film saga brought in $12.5 million to take third spot.

Will Smith’s latest, “The Pursuit of Happyness,” fell out of first place to land in second spot. It trailed far behind “Museum” with a take of only $15 million.

Though the earnings for “Museum” were about $10 million higher than studio estimates, it was still a slow weekend as shoppers and travellers geared up for Christmas. Ticket sales are expected to jump back on Christmas day and through the holiday week.

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Ben Stiller is set to team up with CBS for a new comedy series to star his wife, Christine Taylor.

The pilot for the show will be directed and produced by Stiller, and he’ll play a recurring role on the series if it’s picked up, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The as-yet-untitled comedy project is said to be based on Taylor’s life.

“She is a small-town girl who has found her way into Hollywood but still retains a lot of the values and humility (of her upbringing),” said CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler. “There are times when she is befuddled by her status — being an actress married to a big movie star.”

The show will follow Taylor as she juggles a career and family while dealing with many relatives from her hometown. Stiller will play her husband.

The couple has previously appeared on-screen in 2004′s Dodgeball and 2001′s Zoolander.

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A big-budget, science-fiction comedy starring Ben Stiller and Jim Carrey has stopped preproduction.

“Used Guys,” an onscreen reunion for Stiller and Carrey who both appeared in 1996′s “The Cable Guy,” was set to start shooting on June 11.

20th Century Fox claims the movie is simply on hold because of scheduling conflicts.

?The Jay Roach-directed film requires a long prep for its futuristic settings, and both actors have films scheduled for later in the year,? said the studio. ?All the parties remain committed to making the picture when time permits.?

However, sources close to the project say it won?t be made at all with Stiller and Carrey heading the cast, according to Reuters.

The film is set in a futuristic, female-run society where men are sold as ?pleasure clones.? The plot revolves around two obsolete clones that set out to find the lost meaning of manhood.

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Does Ben Stiller have something against the French? Apparently the comedy superstar decided that the filming of his new flick was better off in Vancouver rather than Montreal.

The filmmakers of ?A Night at the Museum? had already opened a production office at Mel’s Cit? du Cinema studios in Montreal and had begun extensive construction of elaborate sets for the film.

Montreal film commissioner Daniel Bissonnette and Brian Baker from the Quebec film technicians union explained that Stiller made the call once he was signed onto the movie.

No one was able to explain why Stiller chose Vancouver over Montreal.

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Ben Stiller and his wife, Christine Taylor, have welcomed the arrival of their second child, a baby boy named Quinlin Dempsey, reports Ireland Online.

Born on July 10 in a Los Angeles hospital, the couple also has a 3-year-old daughter named Ella.

Stiller and Taylor, who co-starred in Dodgeball and Zoolander, wed in May 2000.

Currently, Stiller is the voice of Alex the lion, in the animated movie, Madagascar.

However, if Stiller stays true to his character from Meet the Parents, it looks like his family’s circle of trust won’t dissolve anytime soon.

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