Male models Derek and Hansel are back on the catwalk in fashion comedy sequel "Zoolander 2", returning with their famous pouts, poses -- and a record-breaking selfie to capture them.

On a blue carpet that evoked his trademark "blue steel" pout, Derek Zoolander himself, actor Ben Stiller, helped set a record for the longest selfie stick at the movie's London premiere on Thursday night.

With co-stars Owen Wilson, Penelope Cruz, Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell beside him, Stiller held the stick, said to be some 8.5 metres (27.89 ft) long and with a mobile device attached to it, above them for the snap. A judge from Guinness World Records was present to confirm the record-breaking attempt.

Stiller and Wilson reprise their roles as the rival models turned friends in the sequel to the 2001 comedy. This time around, mysterious assassins target the celebrities.

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"When ('Zoolander') came out, not everybody saw it. It was, a little bit, I guess, out there. And somehow it got discovered over the years, which has been great," Stiller told Reuters at the premiere.

"We didn't ever think we were actually going to do a sequel and then the last few years the momentum started building and now all the pieces came together."

The 50-year-old actor said the world of fashion still offered lots of comedy material.

"Obviously the fashion industry is very easy to have fun with because everybody has to take themselves seriously in it to be taken seriously and it's outsized personalities and all that, but showbiz has a lot of that too," he said.

"Ultimately, it's the characters in 'Zoolander' that people connect with."

Last year, Stiller and Wilson strutted down the Valentino catwalk at Paris Fashion Week for the movie.

"We were kind of nervous about what the reaction was going to be," Wilson said.

"I think they (fashionistas) really had a sense of humour about themselves and seemed to kind of embrace it."

"Zoolander 2" hits cinemas worldwide from Feb. 11.