Although it is considered a cult classic these days, that wasn't the case from the start. Ben Stiller struggled to get 'Zoolander' made, studios didn't understand the film and in truth, its release date could not have been any worse - given what was going on in the world.

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In addition, the casting was problematic, as a certain star of the film almost had to rule out due to scheduling issues. This caused the film to search for replacements and in truth, a certain A-list actor almost stole the role - Stiller himself admitted that it was a successful audition.

We'll take a look at everything that went down behind the scenes. We can all agree, the right casting decision was made at the end of the day.

The Film Got Off To A Rough Start

From the start of production, 'Zoolander' was at a massive disadvantage. Ben Stiller himself admits that the studio didn't fully understand the concept and right out of the gate, the budget was slashed from $6 to $1 million. "I don't think they quite got the tone we were going for," Stiller says.

In addition, it would undergo several rewrites, things really weren't looking too promising.

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As if that wasn't hard enough to digest, once the film got its release, the timing could not have been worse. It was released in late September of 2001, following the 9-111 attacks. At the time, a lot of the US audience was not interested in watching a movie of such nature. It wound up making $60 million at the box office but in truth, its following grew after it left theaters.

Justin Theroux would also chime in alongside Esquire, agreeing that the film hit its mark later on.

"I don't think most people saw the first one in the cinema," he says. "They saw it on DVD or cable or satellite, so it became [like] this rare piece of vinyl almost, that people discovered and really enjoyed sort of at home."

"So, in that way it was an indie that everyone got to discover on their own as opposed to being an opening weekend smash. And that's part of the reason I think it's such a beloved movie because everyone has a personal connection to it."

Owen Wilson agreed alongside Collider that it would grow a huge fanbase in the years that followed its release. However, it should be important to note that Wilson almost didn't feature in the film at all.

Owen Wilson Was Almost Not Available For The Shoot

As Owen Wilson revealed with The Independent, his biggest flaw, at least according to himself, is that he didn't take enough chances over the course of his career. This would ultimately play a big role in his acceptance of the gig.

"My biggest fashion faux-pas is probably not taking enough chances. I tend to be very safe. I think you have to roll the dice a bit more. After I did that Valentino show – those pyjamas I wore, at first, I thought this is ridiculous. Who would wear those? Then I started to wear them. The reaction I would get from people – 'Gosh, I love those pants' – and then I started thinking, I need to do this more, take more chances."

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In addition, Wilson had a close relationship with Ben Stiller. The duo had met during a 'Cable Guy' audition and later, Stiller would send Wilson a letter, praising him on his work. "I think it was when he saw Bottle Rocket. He wrote me the nicest letter, saying how much he loved the movie, which meant a great deal, because no one saw Bottle Rocket, and saying that he hoped we might work together on something, someday, and that sure came to pass."

Turns out, that great chemistry also didn't take place due to a timing issue. Wilson was always supposed to be Hansel, but when his schedule seemed to be unsure, the crew started looking at others, including one major A-list star.

Jake Gyllenhaal Was Considered

That's right, according to Ben Stiller himself, none other than Jake Gyllenhaal was once considered for the role. Ben would admit, it was a great audition, "The only one that I remember clearly was a young Jake Gyllenhaal doing this wide-eyed version of Hansel that was really funny."

Although it would've been great to see Jake in the role, nobody could play Hansel as Wilson did. And in truth, Gyllenhaal had a hectic schedule in 2001 with three films, including 'Donnie Darko'. He didn't suffer from the missed chance, though it would've been interesting to see him in such a different kind of role.

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