The iconic mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap is making a triumphant return to the big screen in 2024. Original director Rob Reiner and the film’s legendary trio—Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins, and Derek Smalls—are all set to reprise their roles.
“We’re making a sequel,” Reiner revealed during an appearance on the RHLSTP With Richard Herring podcast. “We’re going to start shooting at the end of February, and everybody is back.”
Explaining the sequel’s premise, Reiner shared, “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, their manager, passed away. In reality, Tony Hendra passed away. Ian’s widow inherited a contract stating 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, forced to deal with each other, and play this concert.”
When asked about his role in the upcoming film, Reiner added: “I’m back playing Marty DiBergi. The band was upset with the first film. They thought I did a hatchet job and this was 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.”
The long-awaited follow-up to the 1984 cult classic has been in development for several years, with Reiner hinting at its potential back in 2022. The director assures fans that the sequel will pay homage to the original film’s legacy while taking the story in unexpected directions.
“It wasn’t until we came up with the right idea how to do this,” Reiner explained to Deadline last year. “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.”
