Spinal Tap II on the way.

[Alex]

The original Spinal Tap is the move to which all mockumentaries are immediately compared. It will be hard to top, or even just match.

Spinal Tap II is coming. Deadline reports that a sequel to the beloved 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap is in the works. Rob Reiner, who made his directorial debut with the original, will return for the sequel, as will cast members and fictional bandmates Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer. Reiner will also reprise his role as the doc's director.

"The plan is to do a sequel that comes out on the 40th anniversary of the original film," Reiner told Deadline. "I can tell you hardly a day goes by without someone saying, why don't you do another one? For so many years, we said, 'nah.' 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."

"They've played Albert Hall, played Wembley Stadium, all over the country and in Europe," Reiner continued as he talked about the concept behind the sequel. "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."

Deadline says that the film is slated for release on March 19, 2024, a little over 40 years after the original was released. This Is Spinal Tap will have a special screening next week at Cannes Film Festival.

Earlier this month, Ric Parnell — the drummer who played Spinal Tap's ill-fated drummers in the film — passed away at 70.

[claws]

Good news I guess. So weird, I've never seen This is Spinal Tap but know all about it. With my viewing habits I'll probably end up watching the sequel before watching the first.

[zombie no.one]

it's worth watching, but has been so influential that it will probably have no 'wow, this is something super original!' factor like I'm sure it did on release...

I think the same ensemble crew tightened up the formula and did it better on WAITING FOR GUFFMAN and especially A MIGHTY WIND.

BEST IN SHOW was funny, but a bit too over the top for me.

wonder how Tap mk 2 will be? they're all in their 70s now, but I guess so is Ozzy Osbourne who did a new album recently

[Alex]

I don't have high hopes for it, but I'd be happy to be proven wrong.

[zombie no.one]

and of course they now need a new drummer, again...

[chainsaw midget]

I can see this working.  I can't help but think of real life bands from the 80s still touring and how much comedy potential that it has.