Paul McCartney and Elton John Join ‘Spinal Tap II’ Cast for Fall 2025

Rock stars Paul McCartney and Elton John will appear in Spinal Tap II: The End Continues when it hits theaters on September 12. The stars jumped at the chance to join the sequel to This Is Spinal Tap, a cult classic. 

Director Rob Reiner spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the stars' quick wit. "They were all great. Paul McCartney is really funny. I mean, really funny," he said. "And Elton was spot on. He knew exactly what he wanted to say." 

The follow-up to the 1984 hit catches McCartney dropping by during band practice. He shares tips, then picks up his bass to play along. The whole thing happened without a script, but it's based on a humorous incident that actually happened. "I mean, it's completely improvised, so you don't know what's [coming], and you do it in two or three takes," Reiner said. Advances in technology have made editing faster and easier.

Test viewers loved it. Both old fans and younger listeners got the jokes. Many had never watched the first film, but they still laughed all the way through.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues will include showings in the US and the UK, and more stars fill the screen. Lars Ulrich bangs the drums, while Garth Brooks, Chad Smith, Trisha Yearwood, and Questlove appear in wild scenes. A fresh batch of songs recorded during filming will come out with the movie. One track captures McCartney's surprise jam with the band.

The old gang, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer, returns as members of Spinal Tap, the fake British metal band. Since their first movie, they've rocked huge shows at Royal Albert Hall and Glastonbury. The first film grew into something special, and many music stars, including Elton John and Questlove, are fans.