“Nigel has been running a cheese and guitar shop in Berwick-upon-Tweed”: Spinal Tap II director teases what we can expect from the long-awaited sequel

It’s been over 40 years since 1984’s mockumentary comedy This Is Spinal Tap blasted onto screens via a VHS release – introducing the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap to audiences and creating a cult classic along the way. Fast-forward to 2025, and fans can finally look forward to the (very) long-awaited sequel.

Now, in a new interview with Empire, director and co-writer Rob Reiner has revealed what the characters have been up to since we last saw them.

“Nigel [Tufnel – guitarist] has been running a cheese and guitar shop in Berwick-upon-Tweed,” says Reiner. “He’s also been performing with a local folk band in the village that play penny whistle and mandolin, and he plays electric guitar with them. We show a little clip of that.

“David St. Hubbins [lead singer] has been living in Morro Bay in California, and he’s been writing music for podcasts, particularly this one true-crime podcast called The Trouble With Murder. He also writes the music that you hear when you’re on hold on the phone.

“Derek [Smalls – bassist] is living in London and is now the curator of the New Museum of Glue. He’s curated glue from every country in the world – the whole history of glue – and he shows me around.

“He’s also been performing with a philharmonic orchestra, and he’s written this kind of symphony about the fact that the devil wears a bad hairpiece. It’s called Hell Toupee.”

Reiner quips that the characters “have been busy” but that, in spite of it all, the band is ready to reunite. “Tap is a band that’s always breaking apart and coming back together,” he explains. “And Derek always felt that he was the glue that kept everything together.”

And the director also reveals that audiences can expect to spot some A-list faces in the new movie. “We came up with a good idea for Paul [McCartney], and he was excited to do it. And we had a great idea for Elton [John]. They’re both terrific in the film, both comfortable just talking off the cuff.”

While there’s no official release date yet, Reiner did tease earlier this year that Spinal Tap II will likely come out in late spring or early summer 2025.