Drummers Chad Smith, Lars Ulrich to Test Fate With ‘Spinal Tap’ Sequel Cameos

The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith and Metallica’s Lars Ulrich will try to survive the Spinal Tap drummers curse with cameos in the upcoming This Is Spinal Tap sequel.

The two musicians were named in a new round of cast announcements, per Deadline, now that production on the film has begun in New Orleans. Though we obviously don’t know for sure, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Smith and Ulrich roped into an extension of one of the best bits from 1984’s This Is Spinal Tap: the fake metal band’s revolving door of drummers, all struck down in a series of mysterious deaths.

Along with Smith and Ulrich’s cameos, the Spinal Tap sequel will feature the return of Fran Drescher, who’ll reprise her role as the band’s publicist, Bobbi Flekman, from the original 1984 movie. The film will also feature newcomers John Michael Higgins, Jason Acuña, Don Lake, Nina Conti, Griffin Matthews, Kerry Godliman, Chris Addison, Brad Williams, and musician Paul Shaffer. No details have been released about their roles. 

Even before Smith and Ulrich joined the cast, the Spinal Tap sequel was gearing up to feature a bevy of musical cameos. Last year, director Rob Reiner revealed during a podcast that Paul McCartney, Elton John, Questlove, Garth Brooks, and Trisha Yearwood are all set to appear in the movie. 

Not a whole lot is known about the Spinal Tap sequel, but it is expected to center around the band reuniting for one final concert, with Reiner previously citing the Band’s classic, The Last Waltz, as a kind of inspiration. Reiner will reprise his role as the documentarian following Spinal Tap in the original movie, Marty DeBergi; Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer are reprising their roles as David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel, and Derek Smalls, respectively.

“When it was announced that Spinal Tap would reunite for one final concert, Marty DeBergi saw this as a chance to make things right with the band who viewed This is Spinal Tap as a hatchet job,” Reiner said of the sequel in a statement. 

From Rolling Stone US.