Good news has come for the creators of This is Spinal Tap on Friday, Sep 19 as they have reached settlement with Vivendi media conglomerate and their film distribution division StudioCanal in suit that was first filed in 2016. Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer released the cult film 36 years ago in 1984, and fans have been cranking it up to “11” ever since.
The “Shark Sandwich” of a dispute was initiated by Shearer and alleges that a measly $81 and $98 income was made in merchandising and music sales, respectively, by the creators of the timeless film. Shearer, McKean, Guest, and Reiner “demanded hundreds of millions in damages plus hoped to reclaim Spinal Tap by exercising termination rights under the Copyright Act,” according to Hollywood Reporter. Now that a settlement has been reached, the details will be worked out in time with a fully formed agreement.
With the rights back in the hands of the creators, there may be a future for the Spinal Tap franchise after so many years of forced stagnancy. With the momentum behind their victory and a devoted fanbase that has been clamoring for new Spinal Tap for decades, a new era could be dawning for the Rockumentary stars. Hopefully a new film or feature is in our futures, as it would be astounding to discover how many drummers the band may have had (and lost) over the past 36 years.
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