Spinal Tap, for some reason, is one of the central pillars of the zeitgeist of fandom. It’s a ridiculous, fake documentary about the greatest rock band that never was. This makes it fantasy, and though it’s not high fantasy in the tradition of J.R.R. Tolkein, fantasy it remains.

More than forty years later, the film, its fictious band members and the storied tragic ends of three drummers form the basis of a new mockumentary, once again loaded with famous people all of whom pretend to have intimate knowledge of this extraordinary band that never was. It was a mild surprise that all the original band members were still alive and available to do this preposterous film, and a more pleasant one that they managed to get Elton John out of retirement to gig with them.

This is Spinal Tap is full of interviews with some of the most famous musicians and actors of the time, including some cast as the members of the band itself. including David St. Hubbins (played by Michael McKean), lead vocals and guitar; Nigel Tufnel (played by Christopher Guest), lead guitar and vocals; and Derek Smalls (played by Harry Shearer), bass guitar and vocals. Other notable musicians appearing in the film include Mick Shrimpton (played by Ric Parnell), one of the band’s many doomed drummers. The film also features guest appearances by musicians like Alice Cooper, Paul McCartney, Barry Bailey, Elton John and Bruce Springsteen as themselves.

One of the most iconic gags in the film has to do with the performance of their song Stonehenge, in which the dimensions of a stage prop were misinterpreted as eighteen inches instead of eighteen feet, an error that is corrected in this new sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues hits theaters September 12, 2025, and will even be availalbe in IMAX.