According to Deadline, METALLICA's Lars Ulrich and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' Chad Smith will make cameos the sequel to the iconic mockumentary "This Is Spinal Tap", which is now in production in New Orleans, Louisiana. Rob Reiner has returned to direct and write, and original stars/writers Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer are reprising their roles as Nigel Tufnel, David St Hubbins and Derek Smalls, respectively. Reiner will also return as the documentarian Martin "Marty" DiBergi.
The "Spinal Tap" sequel will also see the return of Fran Drescher, who will reprise her role as the band's publicist, Bobbi Flekman, from the original 1984 movie. The film will also feature newcomers John Michael Higgins, Jason Acuña, Don Lake, Nina Conti, Griffin Matthews, Kerry Godliman, Chris Addison, Brad Williams and musician Paul Shaffer.
"Spinal Tap II" is filming in New Orleans starting March 6 and continuing through April 12, according to the city's film office. It is shooting under the working title "Goodbye, Cleveland" — a reference to a scene in the 1984 original film in which its bungling band members get lost backstage at a concert.
"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 said in a statement.
The film will feature cameos from Elton John, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, Questlove and Trisha Yearwood.
In 2022, Reiner told Deadline about the decision to release a new "Spinal Tap" movie: "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."
As for the new movie's premise, Reiner said: "They've played Albert Hall, played Wembley Stadium, all over the country and in Europe. They haven't spent any time together recently. 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."
Regarding his role in the upcoming film, Reiner said: "I'm back playing Marty DiBergi. The band was upset with the first film. They thought I did a hatchet job and this is a chance to redeem myself. I am such a big fan and I felt bad they didn't like what they saw in the first film. When I heard they might get back together, I was a visiting adjunct teacher's helper at the Ed Wood School of Cinematic Arts. I drop everything to document this final concert."
"This Is Spinal Tap" has become a cult classic since its first theatrical run 39 years ago. The film was produced independently on a shoestring budget of $2.25 million by a company owned by the four creators, Reiner, Guest, McKean and Shearer. Two years in production, the film was released in 1984. It soon became a cult favorite and spawned a genre that has come to be known as "mockumentary," inspiring many subsequent filmmakers. Phrases from the film's script have entered the general lexicon, including "none more black" and "it goes to 11," the latter phrase exemplified by the Tesla car, whose audio system's volume control goes to 11, as does that on the BBC's iPlayer.
Its reputation as one of the 20th Century's most enduring comedies has increased exponentially in the ensuing years. The film has garnered international praise and acclaim, having been included in "best ever" lists such as The New York Times Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made; Total Film's 100 Greatest Movies of All Time list; Entertainment Weekly's 100 Greatest Movies of All Time where it appeared on the "Just Too Beloved to Ignore" list; and achieving the coveted No. 1 spot on Time Out London's 100 Best Comedy Movies list.
In 2002, the film's lasting appeal led the U.S. Library of Congress (the world's largest cultural collection),to designate it as a culturally, historically or aesthetically significant film.
(Source: www.blabbbermouth.net)