THEN & NOW: The cast of the original 'Zoolander' 15 years later

Paramount Pictures

After 15 years, Derek Zoolander is back.

"Zoolander No. 2," the sequel to the 2001 cult-hit comedy, is in theaters Friday and features some of the original cast reprising their roles.

When the "world's most beautiful people" are being assassinated, the only people to call are ex-models Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) and Hansel McDonald (Owen Wilson).

Stiller created the dimwitted character of Zoolander for a short film that aired during the 1996 VH1 Fashion Awards. Another short film was made for the Fashion Awards the following year and later developed into the feature-length film.

"Zoolander" featured cameos from celebrities including Posh and Baby Spice, Donald and Miliana Trump, Billy Zane, Mark Ronson, and David Bowie. And while some players are back for the sequel, a number of other celebrities - including Justin Bieber, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kristen Wiig, and Penelope Cruz - are making cameo appearances in the second film.

Here's a look at the original cast 15 years later: