EXCLUSIVE: Rob Reiner's Dying Movie Wish — How Slain Director Was Plotting to Make Follow-Up to One of World's Most Controversial Movies When He Was Slaughtered
Rob Reiner was looking toward another big project before he was murdered.
Jan. 5 2026, Published 1:40 p.m. ET
Tragic Rob Reiner was planning to shoot a sequel to Life of Brian before he was slaughtered, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The 78-year-old comedy maestro – allegedly knifed to death by his son Nick on 14 December, along with his wife Michele, 70 – loved Monty Python's religious satire original so much he wanted to come to England in the New Year to scout locations for a follow-up.
Secret Sequel Plan Before Tragic Death
Rob Reiner had planned a sequel to 'Life of Brian' before his death.
A Hollywood insider said Rob's plot would focus on Jesus' resurrection and added he wanted to "pack it with as much controversy as the first Life of Brian."
They added: "Rob always said Life of Brian was one of the funniest movies ever made, and he loved English humor. You can see that in his Spinal Tap movies."
Rob Reiner developed a storyline centered on the resurrection of Jesus.
"He was planning to scout locations for a Life of Brian II in 2026 and had talked about the project for ages," the source claimed.
"He thought now was ripe for lampooning the religious right-wing sector of the world, and he was ready to leave his mark on satirical filmmaking in that respect, especially with the rise of Trump and far-right conservatism across America and Europe.
Even though he was known for his comedies, he always wanted to tackle big, heavy topical themes with humor and did not feel he had done that yet in the way Life of Brian did."
Rob Was 'Not Afraid of Controversy'
The iconic director intended to travel to England to scout filming locations.
"Rob was not afraid of the controversy that would inevitably follow and said it could even be his last film before he retired. It's so sad the world will never get to see what he was planning – it would have been great," the insider added.
Hours after his shocking death, Monty Python icon Eric Idle, 82, told how he spoke with Rob in the hours before his "lovely" friend was found with his throat slit alongside his wife in their $13.5million LA mansion.
Last Call With Eric Idle Before Death
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Eric Idle spoke with Rob Reiner hours before his death.
The British comic said they had made plans to meet in the New Year during a warm hour-long phone call with the Hollywood director.
Idle said, "Rob Reiner was a lovely man. I spoke to him last night for over an hour. I always enjoyed his company. Last thing he said to me was, 'See you next year.' Such a terrible end. Such a sweet man."
The funnyman added, "He was telling me about filming at Stonehenge and his thoughts for the future. This is so awful. I shall miss him. A clever, talented, and very thoughtful man."
In an interview in September, Reiner spoke of his desire to make "one more" film before hanging up his directing career.
He said: "It's really demanding. I can do one more, maybe." The Stand By Me filmmaker also spoke about a long-cherished idea based on a comedy sketch he and Steve Martin had written decades ago, with the premise: if Jesus came back, what would happen?
Rob vowed: "I'm gonna try one more time."
