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‘Spinal Tap II: The End Continues' Trailer: Rob Reiner Gets the Band Back Together 41 Years Later
Spinal Tap is tapping back into the music scene, 40 years later. The highly-anticipated sequel 'Spinal Tap II: The End Continues' reunites director Rob Reiner with stars Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer for a revival of the beloved mockumentary about a faux band.
The official synopsis reads: 'Forty-one years after the release of the groundbreaking mockumentary 'This Is Spinal Tap,' the now estranged bandmates David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel, and Derek Smalls (McKean, Guest, and Shearer) are forced to reunite for one final concert. 'Spinal Tap II: The End Continues' also marks the resurrection of documentarian Marty Di Bergi (Reiner), who once again tries to capture his favorite metal gods as they contemplate mortality — and the hope that their 12th drummer doesn't join them in The Great Beyond. Joined by music royalty Paul McCartney and Elton John, Spinal Tap wrestles with their checkered past to put on a concert that they hope will solidify their place in the pantheon of rock 'n' roll.'
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The titular group has infamously been deemed 'England's loudest and most punctual band,' with the sequel set during their reunion after a 15-year hiatus for one final concert.
Elton John, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, and Trisha Yearwood will appear as themselves in the film. Paul Shaffer, David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel, Derek Smalls, Fran Drescher, Don Lake, John Michael Higgins, Nina Conti, Griffin Matthews, Kerry Godliman, and Chris Addison will also star in the Bleecker Street feature. Distributor Bleecker Street is also re-releasing a newly-restored edition of the 1984 original film back in to theaters this summer. That new version will also hit digital and streaming platforms, making it the first time the film has been available digitally in years.
Reiner told IndieWire that 'Spinal Tap' was almost never made in the first place. 'We went to every single studio and got turned down everywhere,' Reiner said during the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast. 'Nobody wanted it. We went from studio to studio with a 16mm film can under our arms.'
Thankfully, the sequel to the hit film was an easier sell: 'It's a tiny bit slicker, because Marty Di Bergi [the director played by Reiner in the original] has seen all the reality television shows and all these four-part and six-part docs,' Reiner said of the meta experience filming 'Spinal Tap II,' adding, 'But I wanted to try to do it pretty much the way we did the first one.'
Bleecker Street will release 'Spinal Tap II: The End Continues' in theaters on Friday, September 12. Check out the trailer below.
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