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Historically, Saturday Night Live aims to kick off each season with a bang, so its season premieres typically feature fan-favorite SNL alumni or white-hot stars coming off a big summer.

The past five seasons have seen Jean Smart (fresh from her comedy Emmy win for Hacks), Pete Davidson (the show’s hottest alum thanks to tabloid romances and scandalous meltdowns), Miles Teller, Owen Wilson (promoting Marvel TV shows and movies) and Chris Rock (trying to make SNL safe from Covid once again).

Who will Lorne Michaels tap to guide the show into its 51st season? Here are eight educated guesses, based on marketing opportunities meeting comedy bona fides...

1 Adam Sandler

In the Sandman’s favor: He was the standout star of SNL50, and his Happy Gilmore 2 just broke a bunch of Netflix streaming records. In other words, he checks both the “favorite SNL alum” and “huge summer” boxes. After...

As the gentlemen of Spinal Tap surely know, it can take a while to find your back to the stage. In the case of their long-awaited sequel, it's been more than 40 years since Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer starred as "one of England's loudest bands."

But that wait will soon be over.

Hot off a rerelease earlier this month, the band is gearing up for Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. After the first trailer last week, details about a new album have surfaced, including a host of special guests featured on it.

For everything you need to know about Spinal Tap II, as well as the first images, rock read on!

Who's in it?

The End Continues brings the core trio of McKean, Guest, and Shearer back together as David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel, and Derek Smalls, respectively. Also returning from This Is Spinal Tap is Fran Drescher...

We now have our first look at the new music video for the single “Stonehenge” from the upcoming sequel to the beloved rock mockumentary, This is Spinal Tap. Bleecker Street had recently unveiled the trailer to Spinal Tap II: The End Continues last week at ComicCon. The film has Rob Reiner returning as director and documentarian, Marty Di Bergi, along with Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer returning as Spinal Tap. The film is also written by the four stars. Rob Reiner, Michele Reiner and Matthew George are the credited producers on the film. Spinal Tap II: The End Continues will try not to get lost on its way to theaters on September 12.

One of the draws to this new entry is the cameos from figures of the music world. Some of the predominantly big names will include Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney and Questlove. The former is included...

Heavy metal legends Spinal Tap have teamed up with Elton John for a re-recording of the band’s classic cut “Stonehenge,” released on Thursday via Interscope Records.

The band also released a music video for the single, confirming the song will appear on The End Continues, the forthcoming album for the mockumentary Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, out on Sept. 12 to coincide with the movie’s theatrical run.

The 13-track set includes nine brand new songs and four reinvented favorites, featuring guests Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, and Trisha Yearwood.

A new trailer for the movie, featuring a musical clip of “Stonehenge,” premiered last week at San Diego’s Comic-Con 2025 after Rob Reiner and Paul Feig’s panel “Directors On Directing.” Watch the trailer below.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues picks up 41 years after the release of 1984’s groundbreaking This Is Spinal Tap, when now estranged bandmates David St. Hubbins,...

It turns out that the real problem with Spinal Tap’s “Stonehenge” wasn’t just that tiny onstage prop — the song was also missing some assistance from a living rock monument. A just-released new version of the track, featuring Elton John on vocals, is the first single from the fictional metal gods’ new album,The End Continues. The collection, due Sept. 12, will accompany the long-delayed sequel to 1984’s This Is Spinal Tap, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, which hits theaters the same day.

The album, available to preorder now,...

Praise Eywa! The new issue of Empire is nearly here, bringing a major dispatch from Pandora. Or, more accurately, James Cameron’s headquarters, where Avatar: Fire And Ash is entering its final stages. You can read all about the next chapter in the saga in the September 2025 issue – pre-order yours here – which hits shelves on Thursday 31 July.

For now, here’s a sneak peek inside.

Avatar: Fire And Ash

Ready for another all-out Na’vi epic? Empire joins James Cameron at Avatar HQ for two full days, watching him as he brings his next sci-fi behemoth into being. Plus, we speak to Jake Sully himself, Sam Worthington, and incoming villain Varang, Oona Chaplin, as the Avatar story gets ready to explore.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues

Turn it up to 11: Spinal Tap are back in a long-awaited sequel mockumentary. Empire interviews the full band – David St. Hubbins, Derek Smalls,...

Released in 1998, Small Soldiers was not a heavy hitter at the box office at the time, dashing any hopes of getting a sequel. Even so, the movie was able to garner a cult following, and fans are still wondering what may have ultimately happened with Archer and the Gorgonites.

Directed by Gremlins helmer Joe Dante, Small Soldiers is the story of toy soldiers brought to life with their own distinct personalities when they are implanted with advanced military technology. There are two different teams: the "Commando Elite" soldiers and the "Gorgonites," a group of peaceful monsters intended to serve as educational toys. Things go from bad to worse when the two factions go to war, putting the human lives around them in danger.

The film was co-written by Gavin Scott, Adam Rifkin, Ted Elliott, and Terry Rossio. At the end of the movie, the Gorgonites are last seen embarking in...

The beloved 80s film adaptation of the board game Clue turns 40 this year. And Paramount will be celebrating this occasion with a new physical media release of the film in glorious 4K picture. Blu-ray.com has shared information on the release, but no details yet on special features. The film stars Eileen Brennan, Colleen Camp, Tim Curry, Bill Henderson, Howard Hesseman, Madeline Kahn, Jeffrey Kramer, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, Kellye Nakahara, Lee Ving, Lesley Ann Warren, and Jane Wiedlin. The new ultra-high-def disc is due to hit retailers on October 7.

The description reads,

“Here is the murderously funny movie based on the world-famous Clue board game. Was it Colonel Mustard in the study with a gun? Miss Scarlet in the billiard room with the rope? Or was it Wadsworth the butler? Meet all the notorious suspects and discover all their foul play things. You’ll love their dastardly...

Turn your amps up to 11, everyone: Spinal Tap are back. After 1984’s classic comedy, the heavy metal masterminds – Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) – have returned in a new doc from returning filmmaker Marty DeBergi for Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. The results look to be bigger than Stonehenge – certainly the version Spinal Tap had on stage in the first film.

In support of the sequel, all three members of Spinal Tap – and DeBergi – sat down with Empire for a major new interview, talking their disdain for the original doc, their new material, and – as you can read in the extract below – the secret of the band’s longevity, still rocking all these years later:

——

What’s the secret to your longevity as a band?

Nigel Tufnel: We’ve had arguments over the years and then made up... Arguments, make up,...

Breaking Bad star Giancarlo Esposito has a career stacked with memorable performances. From the aforementioned groundbreaking series to his youthful appearance alongside Eddie Murphy in 1983’s Trading Places, Esposito is a sure way to bring attention to a movie, with many of his most recent projects proving hugely successful. However, in a filmography bursting at the seams with entries, some are likely to become forgotten over time.

That is the fate faced by Nothing to Lose, the Steve Oedekirk-directed comedy drama that fared promisingly at the 1997 box office. On a $25 million budget, the movie, which also stars Martin Lawrence and Tim Robbins, returned $64.5 million at the global box office, split between a $44.4 million domestic haul and a further $20.1 million from overseas markets. Almost three decades on from its first release, Nothing to Lose has found unlikely success on streaming in America, officially joining the top 10 most-watched movies on Tubi as of July 21, 2025, per FlixPatrol.

The first trailer for Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is finally here, giving a proper look at the highly anticipated sequel to This Is Spinal Tap. Screen Rant is at San Diego Comic-Con 2025, and while all kinds of exciting news is coming out of the convention each day, one of the most notable drops for comedy fans is the trailer for Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.

After years of development, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues' first trailer finally shows the band back together. The trailer sees Rob Reiner's fictional documentarian Marty Dibergi reunite with the band, catching up years after they have broken up. The three members of Spinal Tap, Christopher Guest's Nigel Tufnel, Michael McKean's David St. Hubbins, and Harry Shearer's Derek Smalls, all make appearances.

The Spinal Tap II: The End Continues trailer also shows off some major cameos, such as Paul McCartney,...

That long-dreaded awaited Spinal Tap reunion wouldn’t be happening with the generous funding of C. Montgomery Burns.

As director Rob Reiner tells it, he and his This Is Spinal Tap collaborators Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer had long ago abandoned the idea of making a sequel to their seminal 1984 mockumentary. But thanks to a series of fortunate events — including the deep pockets of one of the stars — the quartet is back with Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.

Speaking at Collider’s Directors on Directing panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday, Reiner explained why it took four decades for the “Stonehenge” purveyors to dial it back up to 11 one more time.

Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, and Christopher Guest in Spinal Tap II: The End ContinuesBleecker Street/Spinal Tap LLC

“We made the [first] film 41 years ago, and everybody would come up to say, 'You’ve got to do a sequel,...

Sony Pictures has debuted the trailer for the spoof documentary film ‘Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.’

Spinal Tap is back! After a 15-year hiatus, David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel, and Derek Smalls are drawn back together for one last concert. Documentary filmmaker Marty Dibergi returns to explore what the band members have been up to and immortalise the concert reunion.

The film blends the same musical mayhem and satire that made the original a cult classic and features some fantastic rock cameos in the process. Will this concert be their triumphant return, or just another Stonehenge-sized catastrophe?

Directed by Rob Reiner, the film stars Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer.

Also in trailers – “Did you guys hear that?” Trailer unleashed for sequel ‘Five Nights At Freddy’s 2’

The movie hits cinemas on September 12th.

The post Enough of our yakkin’ Let’s Boogie – again! Trailer drops for...

Heavy metal legends Spinal Tap are officially returning with Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, the highly anticipated sequel to Rob Reiner’s '80s mockumentary about the fictional rock band whose members constantly disagree with each other. Now, we finally got our first trailer for the long-awaited sequel, which is set to be released in theaters next September 12, and will feature the return of classic cast members, as well as some notable new additions. The old metal gods may be back, but the question remains: Are they now big enough to get the Stonehenge stage prop they deserve? Check out the first trailer below...

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues features the return of the classic cast. Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, and Fran Drescher, who will be reprising their roles from the 1984 mockumentary. Rob Reiner is directing and also appearing in front of the camera again to...

Mockumentary sequel Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is out in September, and the full trailer has emerged as a reminder.

Update 25th July 2025: Belated mockumentary sequel Spinal Tap II: The End Continues now – finally – has a full trailer. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer are back in their wigs (now greyer) as the hapless veteran rock band, now reuniting for one last gig.

Just as importantly, director Rob Reiner is also back in front of the camera as documentarian Marty Dibergi, who catches up with the ageing rockers as they stumble back out of obscurity in an age of social media and branded merchandise.

Few are likely to expect The End Continues to reach the classic heights of the 1984 original, but that’s partly because so few comedies have. Here’s hoping it’s a fitting send-off for the writers of such rock standards as Stone Henge,...

After more than 40 years of clamoring, fans have finally gotten a glimpse at the return of some mock rock legends in the trailer for “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.”

The trailer for the “This Is Spinal Tap” sequel features the reunion of the iconic band from Rob Reiner’s 1984 directorial debut. Reiner returns to direct, write and star in the long-awaited sequel to his original music mockumentary. Joining him as actors and writers are Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer — all of whom starred in and co-wrote the original film.

In the new trailer, Reiner returns as Martin “Marty” Di Bergi, a fictional documentarian who “directed” the original documentary about the band Spinal Tap’s 1982 tour for their album “Smell the Glove.” Since the events of the first movie, the members have all gone their separate ways. Footage shows David St. Hubbins (McKean) playing in a mariachi band,...

"What comes after 11? We're about to find out."...

They’re back! The first official trailer for Spinal Tap II: The End Continues has dropped, and we see the lads from the legendary British rock band reunite for one last gig.

In the clip, we see filmmaker Marty Dibergi catch people up with what’s happened to Spinal Tap since his first film, This Is Spinal Tap. We then see the central Tap trio of Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) all looking their age and leading rather sedentary lives, in stark comparison to their past lives as stadium rock gods. The trailer then shows us efforts by the band to reunite for one last hurrah, including their efforts to recruit a drummer suicidal enough to play the gig, their merchandising efforts and whether one (or two) of them dying on stage would help boost publicity for the gig and cement their legacy.

“Nigel, David and Derek haven’t seen the film,” Rob Reiner said Thursday before unveiling the first trailer for his mockumentary sequel Spinal Tap II: The End Continues during Collider’s Directors on Director panel at Comic-Con.

Spinal Tap II has Christopher Guest (Nigel Tufnel), Michael McKean (David St. Hubbins) and Harry Shearer (Derek Smalls) back as legendary heavy metal band Spinal Tap. The film follows England’s loudest and most punctual band as they reunite after a 15-year hiatus for one final concert. Also featured in the sequel will be be cameos from Elton John, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, as well as appearances from Paul Shaffer, Fran Drescher, Don Lake, John Michael Higgins, Nina Conti, Griffin Matthews, Kerry Godliman and Chris Addison.

Reiner said the sequel came together after Shearer got the rights back. “They hadn’t played for 15 years. There’s some bad blood, what...

The highly anticipated sequel to 1984’s seminal comedy sees the band reunite for a farewell show with appearances from Elton John, Questlove and Paul McCartney

The first trailer for the long-awaited sequel to This Is Spinal Tap has been released, showcasing the venerable rockers’ supposed last hurrah in a film called Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.

Spinal Tap II reunites Nigel Tufnel, David St Hubbins and Derek Smalls as they get together for a final concert, more than 40 years after the 1984 mockumentary that made their name. In between, Spinal Tap released the album Break Like the Wind in 1992, appeared on The Simpsons, played the Live Earth charity concert in 2007 and Glastonbury in 2009.

Like a big bottom, Spinal Tap has dropped at the San Diego Comic Con. With that – as promised – comes the first trailer for their much-anticipated return: Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.

A lot has happened in the 40+ years since Marty Di Bergi documented the ill-fated heavy metal band: David St. Hubbins has joined a mariachi band, Derek Smalls is selling cryptocurrency and Nigel Tufnel is selling cheese, only picking up his axe for pub gigs. But it’s time for one more show…They just need yet another drummer.

It’s the perfect setup to get the band back together, and the trailer for Spinal Tap II looks to follow through not just on story but also the humor that made the original 1984 mockumentary such a classic. Add to that cameos from the likes of Questlove, Elton John and Paul McCartney – who declares that the band’s 1970 single “Big...

Spinal Tap reunite for one last concert in the latest trailer for the classic rock mockumentary’s upcoming sequel.

The preview for Spinal Tap II: The End Continues opens up with highlights from the Rob Reiner’s 1984 film before Reiner himself — as documentarian Marty Di Bergi — reveals the purpose of the 40-years-later documentary: To celebrate Spinal Tap’s legacy by bringing together Michael McKean’s David St. Hubbins, Christopher Guest’s Nigel Tufnel, and Harry Shearer’s Derek Smalls (and whatever fearless drummer they can recruit) for a final gig in New Orleans.

All the way back in 1984, the world was introduced to the rock sensation known as Spinal Tap. As fictional documentarian Marty Di Bergi, real-life filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner toured around the country with the fake British rock band comprised of David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel, and Derek Smalls, as well as a revolving door of drummers who kept encountering unfortunate circumstances, forcing them to leave the band. Sure, this is a mockumentary, but as one of the first films of its kind, the comedy managed to trick a lot of people into thinking that Spinal Tap was a real band.

Followed by Marty and his guerrilla film crew, Spinal Tap quickly discovered the challenges of being aging rockers in the modern world, dealt with stuffy record executives, and endured sparsely attended promotional events. They even lost Nigel Tufnel from the band for a short while.

But that's all in the past,...

It's time to turn things up to eleven once again. And locate a new drummer. At Collider's Directors on Directing panel at San Diego Comic-Con, hosted by Steve Weintraub and featuring Rob Reiner and Paul Feig, we had the opportunity to debut the official trailer for Reiner's much-anticipated mockumentary sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. Picking up 41 years after the legendary first film tracked one of England's loudest bands in their quest for rock glory, the follow-up revisits David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) now that the estranged bandmates have gone on with their lives. However, everyone's forced back together, along with the documentary's director Martin Di Bergi (Reiner), for one final concert to cement their legacy as gods in the wide pantheon of rock 'n' roll.

The trailer opens with an introduction from Di Bergi, who has returned...

The first trailer from the long-awaited sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, has arrived, offering a preview of the star-studded guests who join legendary mock-rockers Spinal Tap in the movie. Unfortunately, the band is still searching for a drummer. Watch the full clip below.

Opening 41 years after the original mockumentary, This is Spinal Tap, the trailer begins with director Marty Di Bergi (Rob Reiner) taking us back to highlights from the first film, including the notorious “These go to 11” amplifier scene with Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest). A clip of the band performing “Big Bottom” cuts to Di Bergi talking to Paul McCartney in the present day, who refers to a song lyric about “pink torpedo” as “literature, really.”

It goes on to reveal what the members of Spinal Tap are doing today, with David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) performing with a mariachi band, Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) hawking cryptocurrency,...

The first trailer from the long-awaited sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, has arrived, offering a preview of the star-studded guests who join legendary mock-rockers Spinal Tap in the movie. Unfortunately, the band is still searching for a drummer. Watch the full clip below.

Opening 41 years after the original mockumentary, This is Spinal Tap, the trailer begins with director Marty Di Bergi (Rob Reiner) taking us back to highlights from the first film, including the notorious “These go to 11” amplifier scene with Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest). A clip of the band performing “Big Bottom” cuts to Di Bergi talking to Paul McCartney in the present day, who refers to a song lyric about “pink torpedo” as “literature, really.”

It goes on to reveal what the members of Spinal Tap are doing today, with David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) performing with a mariachi band, Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) hawking cryptocurrency,...

Bleecker Street has released the first trailer for its music mockumentary sequel, “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.”

Forty-one years in the making, “The End Continues” is the follow-up to the 1984 classic comedy, “This Is Spinal Tap.” In the original film, director Rob Reiner — playing a fictional version of himself — follows the fictional British metal band across its North American tour. Though the film is scripted, it follows the visual language and conventions of the era’s iconic music documentaries like Led Zeppelin’s “The Song Remains the Same” and The Band’s “The Last Waltz,” satirizing the dramatic, eccentric and wild behaviors of rock-and-roll musicians.

Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer reprise their roles as Spinal Tap bandmates Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls in “The End Continues.” Reiner also returns, both in front of and behind the camera.

The sequel shows the band recruiting a...

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 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...

We now have our first look at the upcoming sequel to the beloved rock mockumentary, This is Spinal Tap. Bleecker Street has just unveiled the images to Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, which has Rob Reiner returning as director and documentarian, along with Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer returning as Spinal Tap. The film is also written by the four stars. Rob Reiner, Michele Reiner and Matthew George are the credited producers on the film. Spinal Tap II: The End Continues will try to not get lost on its way to theaters on September 12.

The trailer is due to premiere at Comic-Con tomorrow and will be available online not long after, so stay tuned!

The official description 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 are forced to reunite for one final concert.

Today, we have our first look at Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, the sequel to the cult, metal hit, This Is Spinal Tap.   We love seeing Elton John on the piano in the background of that first picture and the mini megaliths in the second picture make us laugh. The costume department's work in the third picture though. The Albert Lee tour shirt on McKean, the Shroud of Turin t-shirt on Guest, and Harry Shearer in the middle, looking like a metalhead who has lived and breathed the scene since high school. It is perfect!   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 (Michael McKean,...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

It’s been more than four decades since the original, groundbreaking mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap hit screens. Now fans are getting their first glimpse of Rob Reiner’s anticipated sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.

Forty-one years after their comedic debut, estranged bandmates David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) are forced to reunite for what promises to be one final, epic concert. The sequel also marks the return of documentarian Marty Dibergi (Reiner), who once again attempts to capture the metal gods as they confront their own mortality and the ever-present fear that their 12th drummer might just join the ranks of their predecessors in The Great Beyond.

(L-r) Michael McKean, Harry Shearer and Christopher Guest Bleecker Street Authorized Spinal Tap LLC

Adding to the star-studded chaos, music legends Paul McCartney and Elton John are set to appear as Spinal Tap...

This September marks the arrival of the long-awaited sequel Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. Ahead of its release, a trio of first-look photos has been revealed.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues stars original cast members Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer reprising their iconic roles as Spinal Tap band members Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins, and Derek Small. The sequel finds the “now estranged bandmates” are “forced to reunite for one final concert.”

Rob Reiner also reprises his role as documentarian Martin “Marty” Dibergi (in addition to serving as the actual film’s director). Rounding out the sequel’s cast are all-star cameos from music legends Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, and Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, plus Paul Shaffer, Fran Drescher, Don Lake, John Michael Higgins, Nina Conti, Griffin Matthews, Kerry Godliman, and Chris Addison.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues will be released in theaters nationwide on September 12th.

Stuck in the ‘80s celebrates its 20th anniversary today, becoming the longest-running podcast devoted to 80s pop culture. Created and co-hosted by award-winning Orlando-based journalist Steve Spears, the show is marking the milestone with a special two-hour retrospective.

“Episode 750 is a nostalgic look back at some favorite Stuck in the ‘80s moments – of ours and our patrons – from the last two decades,” says Spears. “It is also a heartfelt thank you to our devoted listeners. We wouldn’t be here without them.”

Stuck in the ‘80s entertains a longtime global audience of listeners across North America and in such faraway outposts as Australia and New Zealand. Co-host Brad Williams attributes the podcast’s enduring popularity to the duo’s off-air connection.

“Steve and I really are friends, and I think that comes through in our banter,” Williams said. “There’s no one else I would want to be on this podcast time machine with.

Allison Janney jumped at the chance to reunite with her “The West Wing” co-star Bradley Whitford for the upcoming third season of “The Dilpomat.”

Whitford joins the show as Todd Penn, the husband of Janney’s character Vice President Grace Penn. At the end of Season 2, Grace becomes commander-in-chief after the sudden death of President Rayburn (Michael McKean).

“I knew it was going fantastic,” Janney told me about her and Whitford’s first day on set at Thursday’s taping of Bowen Yang and Matt Bowen’s Las Culturistas Culture Awards in Los Angeles. “I knew all of them who did not know him were in for a treat of their lives because he is not only an excellent human being, he is a wonderful actor.

“He is hilarious,” she continued. “He’s really, really funny. He makes the crew laugh. He keeps everyone happy on the set.”

Janney played press secretary C.

Bill Burr is turning his recent stand-up special, Drop Dead Years, into his first streaming album, set to arrive Aug. 1 via 800 Pound Gorilla and All Things Comedy.

The first track from Drop Dead Years is available to stream now, while the album is also available to pre-order. Burr filmed the special in June 2024 at the Moore Theatre in Seattle, and it premiered on Hulu in March.

Drop Dead Years marked Burr’s eighth hour-long stand-up special, and first since 2022, when he released both Friends Who Kill and Live at Red Rocks.

Adam Sandler has appeared in a wide variety of comedy movies, but he has only done very few sequels. One of those, Happy Gilmore 2, is hitting Netflix this month. If the movie is well-received, it could lead to another Sandler classic getting a new sequel.

To promote the sequel, which comes out on July 25, director Kyle Newacheck spoke about Happy Gilmore 2 in a new interview with ComicBook.com. The filmmaker shared his opinion that there are several other Sandler films that could benefit from having a sequel made after Happy Gilmore 2. Newacheck cited Little Nicky as one in particular that is ripe for a sequel, given how much Sandler continues to do the character's unique voice.

As Newacheck said, “Here’s one that I think would be interesting now. Because [Sandler] was always doing the Little Nicky voice on set like so just hearing it, I was like, I...

While special early viewers of the new Naked Gun are raving that it stays true to the originals, it optimistically looks the same for Spinal Tap II. Rob Reiner said that every piece came together with ease once things got moving, “The fun thing about it is we’ve known each other for so many years, and you just fall right back into it. You know, the whole film is improvised. The dialogue is all improvised. And what Chris Guest calls “schnadling” — we schnadle with each other, you know? It’s just fun. Putting together this movie is like putting together a puzzle with no picture on the box. We’ve got the contours of it, because we have a ten-page outline. But we’ll have a scene that lasts 15 or 20 minutes, that winds up being a minute in the movie. You find the best bits of everything, and you cut them together.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues writer-director Rob Reiner may be amazed by the love that Paul McCartney and Elton John still have for performing, as both legendary musicians make cameos in the forthcoming sequel movie.

The follow-up to the 1984 cult classic This Is Spinal Tap hits theaters Sept. 12 from Bleecker Street. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer and Reiner star in the comedy about a heavy metal band reuniting for one last show.

During an interview with AARP Movies for Grownups, Reiner was asked whether Spinal Tap’s final concert featuring appearances from McCartney and John is intended as a statement about reinvention.

“It basically says: ‘No matter how old you are, if you can still do it and still enjoy doing it, then do it,'” Reiner replied. “I asked Paul McCartney about this. I said, ‘There’s you, Mick Jagger, Elton John, and you still like to perform.

David Kaff, the musician and actor best known for his portrayal of good-humored keyboardist Viv Savage in the 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, passed away in his sleep on July 11. He was 79 years old. News of his passing was shared by his band, Mutual of Alameda's Wild Kingdom, who remembered Kaff as someone who "always had a kind word and a quick wit that would slay you where you stand. Then he'd make you smile doing it!"

On their Facebook page, the band shared:

"Our brother David Kaffinetti passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday.

We are devastated by this event.

David always had a kind word and a quick wit that would slay you where you stand. Then he'd make you smile doing it!

Rip dear brother"

Born David Kaffinetti in Folkestone, England, in 1946, Kaff was a dedicated musician for years before venturing into film. He was a founding...

David Kaff, the British musician and actor best known for playing keyboardist Viv Savage in This Is Spinal Tap, has died. He was 79.

Kaff’s death was confirmed by his bandmates in the group Mutal of Alameda’s Wild Kingdom. In a note on Facebook, they wrote that Kaff (born Kaffinetti) had “passed away peacefully in his sleep,” adding: “We are devastated by this event. David always had a kind word and a quick wit that would slay you where you stand. Then he’d make you smile doing it!

The wildly diverse worlds of Star Trek and Quentin Tarantino’s arguably best film, Pulp Fiction, overlapped during the run of Star Trek: Picard. That’s when Amanda Plummer, who played Honey Bunny in Pulp Fiction, portrayed Picard’s season 3’s main antagonist, Vadic. Plummer, the daughter of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country co-star Christopher Plummer, appeared in six episodes as the changeling captain of the Shrike.

But a look at a casting memo written by Tarantino in advance of production on Pulp Fiction reveals that several future and past Star Trek figures were at least considered for roles in the writer-director’s film. Tim Roth ultimately starred as Pumpkin, but among those on Tarantino’s list of potential actors for the role was Christian Slater. A massive Star Trek fan and the son of Star Trek VI casting director Mary Jo Slater, Christian cameoed in VI as a...

Back in 1984, director Rob Reiner's mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap premiered in movie theaters. 41 years later, the film returned to the big screen ahead of the arrival of its long-awaited sequel later this year. Fan excitement seems to be high for the new film, as the re-release of the original This Is Spinal Tap has been so successful that additional dates have been added.

Per Deadline, the limited re-release, featuring a restored and remastered version of This Is Spinal Tap, is pulling in $931.7k from 1,015 locations for Saturday and Sunday. This puts the film in the No. 10 spot at the domestic box office. With another $138k expected from its Monday date, the film will pull in $1.069 million over the course of the three-day special event. Because of the fan demand, additional dates have been added by Bleecker Street and Fathom Events for July 8, 9, and 10.

“We are thrilled with these...

Fans are rocking out to This Is Spinal Tap over the holiday weekend.

The beloved 1984 Rob Reiner mockumentary of a fictional British rock band on a disastrous U.S. tour, restored and remastered, will pull in an estimated $931.7k at 1,015 locations Saturday and Sunday, no. 10 at the domestic box office. The Bleecker Street and Fathom release is looking at $138k on Monday for a total of $1.069 million over its three-day special engagement with limited showtimes.

Due to fan demand, the distributors said, they are adding additional playdates July 8, 9 and 10.

Bleecker will release sequel Spinal Tap II: The End Continues on September 12 with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer reprising their star turns as as members of the heavy metal band reuniting after 15 years for one final show.

“We are thrilled with these early results of our re-release of Rob’s original This is Spinal Tap. While showtimes were limited this weekend,...

This Is Spinal Tap director Rob Reiner has revealed how one iconic heavy metal band was incensed at the classic comedy movie, although Reiner quickly brushed their criticism aside. Speaking to Screen Rant to promote This is Spinal Tap's 41st anniversary re-release, Reiner explained that the movie draws from plenty of real-life stories about famous bands.

"We took from real life. We took actual stories that we knew about. We knew about Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers getting lost backstage and Van Halen having these crazy demands for what was backstage." - Rob Reiner

Reiner is credited as a co-writer on This is Spinal Tap with Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest and Michael McKean, the trio who make up the heavy metal band on screen. As well as borrowing stories from the annals of rock-and-roll history, the writers also put in plenty of their own ideas. Surprisingly, it was one...

Cannibals and a beloved rock band hit the indie circuit for the long holiday weekend as Magnolia Pictures opens action thriller 40 Acres and This Is Spinal Tap returns for a special engagement from Bleecker Street and Fathom. A24 expands Eva Victor’s critically acclaimed directorial debut Sorry, Baby to 14 screens from 4.

Magnolia acquired 40 Acres out of TIFF this year where it was named one of Canada’s Top 10 films of the festival. It’s in 300+ theaters nationwide. The directorial debut of R.T Thorne set in a post-apocalyptic world chronicles a multi-racial Canadian farming family fighting to protect their piece of land from rabid cannibals. Star Danielle Deadwyler is the shoot-first matriarch of an angsty family put to the test when her son (Kataem O’Connor) makes a grave misstep that puts their collective in great danger. Thorne wrote the screenplay with Glenn Taylor and Lora Campbell. Also stars Michael Greyeyes and Milcania Diaz-Rojas.

When Rob Reiner‘s directorial debut, “This Is Spinal Tap,” opened in theaters in early 1984, it quickly became a cult classic beloved by music fans and cinephiles alike for its hilarious portrayal of the title band, a heavy metal group plagued by mishaps while on tour promoting its latest album. Told in a documentary style in which Reiner riffed on films like D.A. Pennebaker’s “Don’t Look Back” and Martin Scorsese‘s “The Last Waltz” to tell Spinal Tap’s story, the film was incredibly influential, spawning a whole series of mockumentaries by “Spinal Tap” band member Christopher Guest and television series like “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation.”

Yet, when Reiner tried to raise money for the movie, no one was interested — even after he shot a 20-minute reel of scenes to demonstrate what he was going for. “We went to every single studio and got turned down everywhere,...

Happy Gilmore 2 tees off on Netflix July 25. To celebrate, the streaming service is launching a collection of movies featuring Sandler and fellow Saturday Night Live alumni.

Sandler returns to one of his most iconic roles for the first time in almost 30 years. Stars returning from the 1996 comedy classic include Julie Bowen and Christopher McDonald. Several actors from the Saturday Night Live family are also onboard for Happy Gilmore 2, including Kevin Nealon, Ben Stiller, Marcello Hernandez, Jim Downey, and Martin Herlihy.

But Netflix isn't waiting until July 25 to let fans stream their favorite SNL stars. Here's a breakdown of what's coming to Netflix in July, featuring SNL stars past and present (via Collider).

To no surprise, Happy Gilmore kicks things off. The film premiered just a year after Sandler left Saturday Night Live and has since become a cult classic. In addition to Nealon and Stiller, the original also...

There are a lot of reasons This Is Spinal Tap is getting a sequel this year, but none of them matter if Harry Shearer wasn’t so pissed off about royalties.

Back in 2016, Shearer filed a $125 million lawsuit against Vivendi and StudioCanal, alleging a breach of contract over the 1984 mockumentary. The original production agreement called for Shearer, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and director/star Rob Reiner to receive 40 percent of net receipts.

Despite the comedy’s enduring popularity and the fake band’s sold-out concerts, the four comedians received only $81 in merchandising income and $98 in musical sales income to show for three decades’ worth of profits. The reason: Hollywood accountants are scumbags. Shearer’s suit figured he and his buddies were due something closer to $400 million.

A settlement was reached in 2020, according to Hollywood Reporter, and as these things often go, the financial terms were kept under wraps. However, in addition to receiving more compensation,...

Over forty years after This Is Spinal Tap first hit theaters, the iconic rockers are finally returning with Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, set to debut later this year. Director Rob Reiner, who also reprises his role as documentary filmmaker Martin “Marty” Di Bergi, had long resisted revisiting the band, but what changed his mind? Surprisingly, it was Netflix’s Stranger Things and Kate Bush that helped kick-start the journey back to eleven with Spinal Tap II.

“We remembered that Kate Bush had had a song put up on Stranger Things,” Reiner told Entertainment Weekly. “And all of a sudden, there’s this resurgence for Kate Bush. We thought, ‘Ah, that’s what it is.‘” This gave Reiner an idea as to how to get the group back together. “We got to get some rockstar to sing one of their songs, like joking around at a soundcheck and somebody captures it on iPhone,...

When Rob Reiner and the members of Spinal Tap were trying to crack the story for the long-awaited sequel to the classic heavy metal mockumentary, they found some unexpected inspiration in Kate Bush and Stranger Things.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is slated to follow the titular band as they reunite after a 15-year hiatus for one final concert. As Reiner explained in a new interview with Variety, the big challenge was coming up with a realistic reason for the band to reunite. As he explained, the death of actor Tony Hendra,...