Back in 1984, Spinal Tap turned comedy up to 11. Rock-mock-doc This Is Spinal Tap is still hailed as one of the all-time-greats, spoofing heavy metal excess and dumb-as-rocks rockstar antics under the tutelage of legendary director Rob Reiner. It was a classic debut – and while the ‘difficult second album’ is tricky to overcome, it’s fair to say that all involved haven’t rushed into a follow-up. No, over 40 years later, the gang is returning – along with Reiner in the director’s chair – for Spinal Tap II, ready to let the world in on what the band have been up to for the last four decades.
While details of the sequel remain tightly under wraps, Reiner let slip to Empire some nuggets of what’s become of Spinal Tap’s members – Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) – in the meantime. “Nigel has been running a cheese and guitar shop,” the filmmaker tells Empire in a Spinal Tap II world-exclusive, in our new Andor Season 2 issue. “David has been writing music for a true-crime podcast called ‘The Trouble With Murder’. And Derek is the curator of a museum of glue. He’s also written a symphony about the fact that the devil wears a bad hairpiece. It’s called ‘Hell Toupée’.”
Oh, and rest assured that there will be new songs – prepare for new Derek Smalls number ‘Rockin’ In The Urn’. “It’s all about the fact that even after he’s dead, he’s still going to be performing,” says Reiner. Rock legends never truly die.
Read more about Spinal Tap II in Empire’s Ultimate 2025 Preview, led by Andor Season 2 – in the January 2025 issue. Pre-order a copy online here. Spinal Tap II is coming soon.