Forty years after making his directorial debut with the 1984 cult classic “This Is Spinal Tap,” Rob Reiner will begin filming the follow-up to the music mockumentary in February. Plus, the fictional heavy metal band will apparently be joined by real-life music legends Paul McCartney, Elton John and Garth Brooks, Reiner revealed on the “RHLSTP With Richard Herring” podcast.
Christopher Guest,Michael McKeanandHarry Shearer are set to return as the members of Spinal Tap, alongside Reiner as the documentarian Martin “Marty” Di Bergi. The sequel is said to mimic the style of Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Waltz,” the legendary concert film that documented the farewell tour of the Canadian American rock group The Band.
“This Is Spinal Tap,” which was selected for preservation by theNational Film Registry and deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by theLibrary of Congress, was primarily improvised. The key to making a movie with only a loose script? “The only thing that matters is that you get people who are good at improvising,” Reiner said. “You have to get people who feel comfortable doing that … then you’re off to the races.”
The director, who also helmed 1980s classics “Stand by Me,” “When Harry Met Sally” and “The Princess Bride,” also shared a piece of advice for comedy filmmaking.
“You don’t want to overstay your welcome,” Reiner said. “This is [like] stand-up — you leave them wanting. You go off on a big laugh and go out. The worst thing you could do is just load it up with, even if they’re funny things, they may be tangents and things that take away from the drive of the film.”
The film package launched sales at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival and was originally slated for March 19, 2024, prior to the dual Hollywood strikes that shook up film and television schedules. With the movie shooting in February, an updated release date has yet to be announced.
The “Spinal Tap” sequel will be fully financed by Castle Rock Entertainment. Guest, McKean, Reiner and Shearer will conceive the new film, produced by Reiner, Michele Reiner and Matt George. Christoper H. Warner executive produces.
