LOS ANGELES — Rob Reiner is getting the band back together.
The director of 1984's "This is Spinal Tap" told entertainment news outlet Deadline that he's reuniting with the original cast of the mockumentary to helm its sequel.
"This is Spinal Tap" stars Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer as members of the fictitious heavy metal band Spinal Tap.
Reiner said the sequel's release would coincide with the 40th anniversary of the first film.
"I can tell you hardly a day goes by without someone saying, 'Why don't you do another one?'" Reiner told Deadline. "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."
The critically acclaimed faux rockumentary was Reiner's directorial debut and has been deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress, which selected it for preservation in 2002.
In the years following the film's release, the actors have portrayed the band members at concerts and released music under the band's name.
Reiner will also reprise his role as the director behind the original documentary.
"I'm back playing Marty DiBergi," Reiner said. "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."
The sequel is slated to be released in March 2024.
