Editing Zoolander (section)

=== Censorship ===
''Zoolander'' was never shown in [[Malaysia]], as the film depicts an attempted assassination of the Malaysian prime minister. [[Film Censorship Board of Malaysia|Malaysia's censorship board]] deemed it "definitely unsuitable".<ref>{{cite news | title = Zoolander faces Malaysian censorship controversy | url = https://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/sep/28/filmcensorship.news | date = September 28, 2001 | publisher = [[TheGuardian.com]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Malaysia shuns Stiller's 'Zoolander' | url = https://apnews.com/32c6700a490095f52f85b0829c7a77eb | date = September 27, 2001 | work = [[Associated Press]] | access-date = April 2, 2019}}</ref> The film was also banned in neighboring [[Singapore]]<ref>{{cite news | title = Singapore bans US comedy film | date = February 8, 2002 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1809357.stm | publisher = BBC News}}</ref> due to "controversial elements" according to the country's Board of Film Censors.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2002-02-09 |title=Zoolander banned in Singapore |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/zoolander-banned-in-singapore/article18286381/ |access-date=2024-02-18 |work=The Globe and Mail |language=en-CA}}</ref> It was subsequently made available in Singapore in 2006,<ref>{{cite web | publisher = [[IMDb]] | title = Release dates for Zoolander (2001) | url = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0196229/releaseinfo}}</ref> with an NC-16 rating. In the United States, the film was originally rated R for its sexual content, profanity and drug references, but was later re-rated PG-13 on appeal.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021 }}

In the Asian release, all references to the country of Malaysia were changed to [[Micronesia]], the subregion which Hansel mistook for Malaysia at one point in the western version.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/films/15-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-zoolander/86738|title=15 things you (probably) didn't know about Zoolander|date=2013-11-14|work=ShortList|access-date=2017-12-05 }}</ref>

In the United States, since the film was released on September 28, 2001 (about two weeks after the [[September 11 attacks]] on the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]]), Stiller made the executive decision to digitally remove any backgrounds that originally contained the Twin Towers in the background skyline.<ref>{{cite web|title=Twin Towers Removed From Zoolander Film|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2001-10-30-0110300058-story.html|work=Sun Sentinel|date=October 30, 2001 |access-date=October 30, 2001}}</ref> Stiller defended his decision to erase images of New York's World Trade Center Towers from the film, saying he did what he thought was appropriate at the time.<ref name="vf-history-20" /> The Twin Towers were later restored for the 2016 Blu-ray release.