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Excited for Spinal Tap II? Thank Stranger Things (and Kate Bush) for convincing sequel-wary Rob Reiner to make it
No, don't expect Spinal Tap II: The End Continues to dive into any Stranger Things-esque MK-Ultra conspiracy theories. Unless...

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Rob Reiner didn't want to make a Spinal Tap sequel. "Over the years," the director of the original hard rock mockumentary told Entertainment Weekly, "People kept saying, 'You should do a sequel. Do a sequel.' And we said, 'No, we've done it. We've done it. This should sit by itself." But then, Reiner watched Stranger Things season 4... or rather, he heard Kate Bush singing in Stranger Things season 4... and everything changed.
In case this is the first time you're hearing the news - yes, after 41 years, Rob Reiner is officially making a sequel to his comedy classic, aptly titles Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. And though he spent those four decades hesitant to work on the property again, Kate Bush's resurgence following the inclusion of her song, Running Up That Hill, in Stranger Things's fourth chapter gave him an idea he simply had to follow.
"We remembered that Kate Bush had had a song put up on Stranger Things," said the Misery director (I know, talk about range). "And all of a sudden, there's this resurgence for Kate Bush. We thought, 'Ah, that's what [the Spinal Tap sequel] is.'"
"We got to get some rockstar to sing one of their songs," Reiner continues, "Like joking around at a soundcheck and somebody captures it on iPhone, puts it up on, puts it up on TikTok, it goes viral, and all of a sudden, 'Hey, Spinal Tap.' So that became the basis of what we did."
Well there you go - inspiration, as they say, comes from the strangest of places. And now this has us wondering if any of the Stranger Things cast ever put on a track from the Spinal Tap album. Like, do you think the Duffer Brothers have time to work 'Sex Farm' into season 5?
Stranger Things season 5, volume one debuts November 26 on Netflix, followed by volume 2 on December 25, and the ultimate finale of the series on December 31.
As we all collectively wait for Stranger Things season 5, here's the keys to getting ready:
- How to watch Stranger Things in chronological or release order
- Getting to know the Stranger Things season 5 cast
- There needs to be more death in Stranger Things, says co-star Gaten Matarazzo
- The Stranger Things time jump between season 4 and 5 has been confirmed by Netflix - and it raises some serious questions
- "They land the plane," David Harbour describes the Stranger Things finale, which he calls its "best episode"
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