Early next year, shooting starts for a sequel to the 1984 cult rock-mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap. It stars the actors who played the perma-delusional UK rockers back then: Michael McKean as hair-tossing frontman David St Hubbins; Christopher Guest as guitarist, Nigel “one louder” Tufnel; Harry Shearer as bassist Derek Smalls (“Hello, Cleveland!”). No drummers of course: they all perished, exploding on drum stools, dying in “freak gardening accidents”, and so on.
Spinal Tap II has the same director, Rob Reiner, who also played interviewer Marty DiBergi in the original. Reiner has said the plot springs from the death of Spinal Tap’s harassed manager, Ian Faith, played by Tony Hendra, who himself died in 2021. Faith’s fictional widow will inherit a contract that says Spinal Tap owes one more concert. Cameo appearances will include Paul McCartney, Elton John and Garth Brooks.
