It may be a work of satirical fiction, but the 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap is remembered as one of the all-time best music movies for its sharp commentary on the business. More than four decades later, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer are back to reprise the core three members of the eponymous, brainless British rock band in Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. To learn more about this upcoming 2025 movie, go ahead and plug in, turn the dial up to 11, and let’s get rockin’!
What Is The Spinal Tap II: The End Continues Release Date?
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is rocking into theaters on September 12, 2025. The sequel comes out just three months after the hilarious original, This is Spinal Tap, was rereleased in honor of its 41st anniversary.
What Is Spinal Tap II: The End Continues About?
As of late, Hollywood has been putting out quite a few sequels to beloved comedies (or movies of any genre, really) released decades after their predecessors, including a couple from 2025 alone – namely Happy Gilmore 2, which had a mixed reception, and Freakier Friday, which reunites Jamie Lee Curtis with Lindsay Lohan. Another notable upcoming instance of this trend is Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.
According to Variety, the new mockumentary (or, should I say, “rockumentary”?) sees filmmaker Marty DiBergi returning to shoot a behind-the-scenes inside look at the long-awaited return of the titular rock gods, who are coming back together for the first time in years for a final reunion show in New Orleans. As it is now customary in most legacyquels today, there will be a few cameo appearances by celebrities to sing their praises about Spinal Tap and join them onstage, as you can see in the official trailer.
The Spinal Tap II: The End Continues Trailer Simply Rocks
All anyone can hope for from a sequel to a comedy as iconic as This is Spinal Tap is that the new chapter is funny. Well, I think if the new finished film manages to make me laugh even half as hard as the official, full-length trailer for Spinal Tap II: The End Continues does, we might be in good shape. Check out the clip below and see for yourself:
Well, it looks like the core three members of Spinal Tap – lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist David St. Hubbins, and bass player Derek Smalls – have really been struggling to maintain their notoriety since the band’s last breakup. At least they can call former Beatle Paul McCartney a fan, and that Elton John is kind enough to join them onstage for a new rendition of “Stonehenge.” From the looks of it, this could be a reunion show beyond even their wildest dreams.
The Spinal Tap II: The End Continues Cast
This is Spinal Tap made comedy legends out of its cast members, many of whom are coming back to reprise their roles in the Spinal Tap II: The End Continues cast, alongside a few new faces to the saga.
Christopher Guest (Nigel Tufnel)
Back in action as Spinal Tap’s lead guitar player, Nigel Tufnel, is Christopher Guest, who helped pioneer the mockumentary genre as a star and co-writer with the original film before becoming its lead auteur with classic partially improvised and highly quotable comedies like Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration. He was also on SNL for one season, reunited with Rob Reiner to play Count Rugen in The Princess Bride, and created the documentary-style miniseries Family Tree for HBO.
Michael McKean (David St. Hubbins)
Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist David St. Hubbins is, once again, played by Michael McKean, who is a frequent collaborator of Guest’s, a fellow SNL one-season wonder, and one of the few SNL stars with an Oscar nomination for co-writing a song from A Mighty Wind. A comedy legend in his own right for Guest’s mockumentaries and many other funny roles, McKean is also a gifted dramatic actor, having earned an Emmy nomination for playing Chuck McGill on the Breaking Bad prequel spinoff, Better Call Saul, to name one notable example.
Harry Shearer (Derek Smalls)
Fellow Guest collaborator and (largely forgotten) SNL veteran Harry Shearer returns as Spinal Tap bass player Derek Smalls, which might not even be his most iconic role, considering how many Simpsons characters he voices. The actor, whose first movie role was an uncredited part in Abbott and Costello Go to Mars, has also shown up in classics like The Right Stuff and The Fisher, and has also hosted a radio show-turned-podcast called Le Show since the early 1980s.
Rob Reiner (Marty DiBergi)
Starring as Marty DiBergi, the in-universe director of both This is Spinal Tap and Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, is the actual director of both films, Rob Reiner, who made his theatrically released feature debut with the 1984 original before helming diverse classics like Stand By Me, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men, and Misery. However, before his directorial career took off, he was best known as Meathead on the classic TV sitcom, All in the Family, among other notable acting roles.
Fran Drescher (Bobbi Flekman)
Fran Drescher also returns for the sequel as publicist Bobbi Flekman, whom she also previously reprised in an episode of her hit sitcom, The Nanny. The current president of SAG-AFTRA debuted in Saturday Night Fever and is also known for shows like Living with Fran and Happily Divorced, and films like the Hotel Transylvania movies.
Paul Shaffer
Known for playing keyboard for the Blues Brothers band and leading David Letterman’s house band, Paul Shaffer also appears in This Is Spinal Tap as shady music promoter Artie Fufkin, whom the renowned musician and actor once met face-to-face in a video for Funny or Die. It is unclear if Shaffer is reprising said role or playing himself this time in Spinal Tap II, considering he had Derek Smalls as a guest on his talk show, Paul Shaffer Plus One, in March 2025, so we will just have to see.
Don Lake
While Don Lake may be a newcomer to the Spinal Tap franchise, he is no stranger to fans of Christopher Guest’s later films. The Canadian comedian is also known for classic spoof movies like Hot Shots! and, more recently, Netflix’s Space Force. His role in Spinal Tap II: The End Continues has not yet been revealed.
John Michael Higgins
Another frequent collaborator of Guest’s making his debut in a Spinal Tap movie, and in a currently unknown role, is John Michael Higgins. Additional bright spots on the actor’s long, versatile resume include portraying David Letterman in HBO’s The Late Shift, voicing various characters on Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law, and playing one of the announcers in the Pitch Perfect movies.
Fans can also expect the likes of Paul McCartney, Elton John, Garth Brooks, Questlove, Trisha Yearwood, Chad Smith, and Lars Ulrich to make cameos in Spinal Tap II: The End Continues as themselves.
Rob Reiner Returns To Direct
As previously established, Rob Reiner is returning to helm Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, which is the first scripted feature he has directed since 2017’s political drama, Shock and Awe. His last directorial credit was a real documentary called Albert Brooks: Defending My Life, which covers the career of his good friend and frequent collaborator Albert Brooks.
Much like he did with the first film, Reiner also shares a writing credit on the sequel with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer. The actor and filmmaker also produces the film under his company, Castle Rock Entertainment, with his wife, Michele Reiner, and Matthew George.
Questions I Have About Spinal Tap II: The End Continues
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is approaching quickly, but there are still a few things about the film that remain unknown. So, naturally, I have a few questions…
What Other Spinal Tap Vets Might Appear?
Considering how many This Is Spinal Tap cast members are reprising their roles in the sequel, I have to assume there will be more living veterans appearing. For instance, I am hoping to see June Chadwick appear in what would be her first acting role in decades as Jeanine Pettibone, who was confirmed as David St. Hubbins’ wife in 1992’s The Return of Spinal Tap. Also, Reiner’s friend Billy Crystal also made an appearance in the original alongside a pre-SNL Dana Carvey as mimes, so a brief cameo by them might be a lot of fun.
Will Any Of Christopher Guest's Other Frequent Collaborators Appear?
Considering a few members of Christopher Guest's “troupe” who missed out on This Is Spinal Tap are confirmed for the sequel, I have to imagine more will show up. We probably will not see Ed Begley Jr. return as the band’s first drummer, John "Stumpy" Pepys, but there’s a great opportunity for a crossover by getting Schitt’s Creek cast members Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara to show up as folk duo Mitch and Mickey. Plus, it would be a shame not to include Jennifer Coolidge and Parker Posey, especially after their success on The White Lotus.
Will Derek Smalls Have A Bigger Role This Time?
My one complaint about This Is Spinal Tap is that Derek Smalls is, ultimately, the character who gets the short end of the stick, and unfairly so. I think Harry Shearer performs some of his absolute funniest work as the bass player, but his role in the original film is largely sidelined by the drama between Derek and Nigel taking up much of the story. Hopefully, his more frequent media exposure lately, such as with his 2023 Barbie diss track, “Must Crush Barbie,” has given him and the other creators a good reason to give him more screentime in the sequel.
Might Rob Reiner Sneak In A Princess Bride Easter Egg?
Another one of Rob Reiner’s best ‘80s movies is The Princess Bride, which contains a blink-and-you-miss-it reference to This Is Spinal Tap in the form of Marty DiBergi’s hat hanging from a lamp in the bedroom of Fred Savage’s character. I have to wonder if the filmmaker opted to pay tribute to the rewatchable 1987 fantasy comedy in some way, shape, or form in Spinal Tap II, such as with a familiar face or two showing up during a performance of “Stonehenge,” perhaps?
Who Will Be The Drummer This Time... And How Long Will They Last?
One of the funniest moments from the Spinal Tap II: The End Continues trailer sees The Roots’ Questlove declining to fill in as the band’s drummer out of fear of death, which references a recurring bit from the original in which they lost every single one of their drummers under mysterious circumstances. This begs the question of who will actually agree to play sticks for the band this time, and what their fate might end up being.
How To Watch This Is Spinal Tap
Just recently, This Is Spinal Tap was made available to rent or purchase digitally on Amazon, giving audiences a way to revisit, or discover, the classic in time for the sequel. The film is also available to purchase on Blu-ray, if you do not own it in your collection already.
My excitement to see one of the greatest fictional bands in pop culture history return in Spinal Tap II: The End Continues could be rated at a 10, but it would be more fitting to say it is an 11.
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