This Is Spinal Tap 2 Now Filming, Major Cameos Confirmed

The long, long, long-awaited sequel to the iconic mockumentary movie, This Is Spinal Tap, is finally now filming, returning director Rob Reiner has confirmed. Coming via Empire, filming on the comedy follow-up is now underway in New Orleans, with Reiner releasing an appropriately wry statement to confirm that production has begun.

“I recently spoke to Marty DiBergi who said that he was more than happy to take a sabbatical from his position as a visiting Professor’s Assistant at the Ed Wood School of Cinematic Arts to once again document Spinal Tap to ensure their place in the pantheon of Rock and Roll.”

Reiner will return to helm This Is Spinal Tap 2 alongside original stars Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer. It has also now been confirmed that the sequel will include cameos from some of the biggest names in music, including Elton John, Paul McCartney, Questlove, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood.

The initial plan for This Is Spinal Tap 2 was to commence filming with a release aiming for this year’s 40th anniversary of the original. Unfortunately, due to the myriad of strikes that brought Hollywood to a standstill, production was delayed, meaning that the sequel will sadly not come in time for the celebration. Which, as it happens, seems very appropriate for the struggling rock band.

Co-written and directed by Rob Reiner in his feature directorial debut, This Is Spinal Tap shines a light on the life and times of a metal band struggling to get back on the charts. The film charts their journey and includes everything from its complicated history of ups and downs, gold albums, name changes and undersold concert dates, taking audiences behind-the-scenes and featuring jokes and dialogue that have now made their way into the pop culture zeitgeist.

This Is Spinal Tap 2 Finds the Band Forced to Play One Last Show

In a previous discussion about the follow-up, Reiner revealed details regarding the plot of the sequel, which will find the band contractually obligated to play one final concert after all these years.

“They’ve played Albert Hall, played Wembley Stadium, all over the country and in Europe. They haven’t spent any time together recently, and that became the premise. 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.”

The original This Is Spinal Tap was released to critical acclaim, but little commercial success, having since carved out a legacy in the 40 years since. Now considered one of the greatest comedies of all time, will This Is Spinal Tap 2 ever be able to live up to the original, or (in keeping with the titular band’s reputation) will the sequel instead be nothing more than a damp squib?