Deadline reports that the iconic mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap” is getting a sequel forty years after it’s initial release.
Rob Reiner will be returning to the director’s chair and will also be playing documentarian Marty DiBergi once again. Original stars Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer will all reprise their roles as SPINAL TAP members Nigel Tufnel, David St Hubbins and Derek Smalls.
The news of the “Spinal Tap” sequel comes after the Cannes Film Festival announced the original film will screen on the beach as part of the Cinema de la Plage sidebar on Wednesday, May 18.
Reiner told Deadline that the plan is to release the new “Spinal Tap” movie on March, 19, 2024, in time for the 40th anniversary of the first film.
“For so many years, we said, ‘nah,'” he said. “It wasn’t until we came up with the right idea how to do this. You don’t want to just do it, to do it. You want to honor the first one and push it a little further with the story.”
As for the new movie’s premise, Reiner said: “They’ve played Albert Hall, played Wembley Stadium, all over the country and in Europe. They haven’t spent any time together recently. The idea was that Ian Faith, who was their manager, he passed away. In reality, Tony Hendra passed away. Ian’s widow inherited a contract that said SPINAL TAP owed them one more concert. She was basically going to sue them if they didn’t. All these years and a lot of bad blood we’ll get into and they’re thrown back together and forced to deal with each other and play this concert.”
Regarding his role in the upcoming film, Reiner said: “I’m back playing Marty DiBergi. The band was upset with the first film. They thought I did a hatchet job and this is a chance to redeem myself. I am such a big fan and I felt bad they didn’t like what they saw in the first film. When I heard they might get back together, I was a visiting adjunct teacher’s helper at the Ed Wood School of Cinematic Arts. I drop everything to document this final concert.”
“This Is Spinal Tap” has become a cult classic since its first theatrical run 38 years ago. The film was produced independently on a shoestring budget of $2.25 million by a company owned by the four creators, Reiner, Guest, McKean and Shearer. Two years in production, the film was released in 1984. It soon became a cult favorite and spawned a genre that has come to be known as “mockumentary,” inspiring many subsequent filmmakers. Phrases from the film’s script have entered the general lexicon, including “none more black” and “it goes to 11,” the latter phrase exemplified by the Tesla car, whose audio system’s volume control goes to 11, as does that on the BBC’s iPlayer.