The glamour turned up to 11 on Tuesday evening as Los Angeles’s Egyptian Theatre hosted the U.S. premiere of Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, the long-anticipated sequel to the 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap.
Cast members and guests arrived on the red carpet to support the film and its director, Rob Reiner. Jamie Lee Curtis accompanied her husband, Christopher Guest, who reprises his role as guitarist Nigel Tufnel. Actress Zooey Deschanel attended with her fiancé, television presenter Jonathan Scott. Other attendees included Michael McKean, Harry Shearer and Paul Feig, along with special guests Billy Crystal, Seth Green, Jack Black, Fran Drescher and Christine Lahti.
Spinal Tap II, directed by Reiner and produced by Bleecker Street, follows the ageing members of the fictional British rock band as they reunite after a 15-year hiatus to perform what is billed as one last tour. The studio said the film includes cameo appearances by music figures such as Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood. The sequel goes into general release Sept. 12.
At the premiere, attendees noted the film’s lineage to the original, which helped define the mockumentary genre and remains a touchstone in both film and music satire. This Is Spinal Tap holds a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes and was selected for preservation by the U.S. Library of Congress’s National Film Registry in 2002 as "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant."
Reiner, who first publicly discussed a possible sequel in 2022, said in remarks quoted by the distributor that he was pleased to work again with Bleecker Street and eager to "keep Tap's legacy alive." Bleecker Street executives have said the project offered an opportunity to honor the original film while creating something intended to resonate with both new and long-time fans.
The premiere combined veteran film talent with a high-profile guest list. Curtis wore a sequined silver dress and walked the carpet with Guest. Deschanel, who does not appear in the film, arrived in a patterned black minidress and embellished tights. Seth Green attended in a Spinal Tap T-shirt, and McKean was joined by his wife, Annette O'Toole.
The original film, released 41 years earlier, presented a behind-the-scenes fictional account of a rock group’s misadventures, and its line "These go to 11" has entered popular culture as a shorthand reference to excess in rock performance. Reiner and collaborators have said they sought a concept for the sequel that would honor that legacy rather than revisit the material for its own sake.
Bleecker Street, which distributed the original film, has led production on the sequel. Company executives said the film represents both a celebration of the original’s influence and an attempt to introduce the characters and tone to newer audiences. The premiere’s attendance by original cast members and prominent entertainers underscored the film’s blend of nostalgia and contemporary star power.
Spinal Tap II will be released to the general public on Sept. 12, with box office and critical responses expected to test whether the sequel can match the cultural impact of its predecessor.