Recently, we’ve seen several musicals on the big screen. Among the most notable ones in recent years are The Greatest Showman and Mary Poppins Returns. On the other hand, there is also a film franchise that revolves around the idea of acapella singing. That, of course, is none other than the ‘Pitch Perfect’ films.
The first ‘Pitch Perfect’ film was released in 2012. Since then, two more have come out, resulting in an estimated box office haul of over $500 million. And as we wait for possibly another ‘Pitch Perfect’ movie, here’s what the cast have to say so far:
10 Rebel Wilson Revealed She Was The First Person To Get Cast In The Franchise
It also turns out that the casting process for Wilson was rather informal, having begun on social media. The actress told Collider, “(Screenwriter) Kay [Cannon] actually Facebooked me and she said, ‘Hey, I’ve written this script.’ Sometimes on Facebook, you’re like, ‘Is this serious?!’ But, she said she’d really like me to read the script and consider Fat Amy.” For her actual audition, Wilson revealed that she performed Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga. Needless to say, they loved her, and she pretty much got the part right away.
9 Ester Dean Said The Songs They Used During Production Would Change Because They Couldn’t Clear The Rights To The Music
In the world of filmmaking, certain permits have to be secured before production can take place. For starters, you need to get permits to shoot in locations outside of a studio. In the case of the ‘Pitch Perfect’ films, they also had to get the rights to use certain songs in the film.
And sometimes, they fail to do so. As Dean has told BlackFilm.com, “Over time we were dancing, we would be dancing to one song and it didn’t get cleared. All of a sudden, we’re no longer singing that song.”
8 Brittany Snow Recalled Watching The Sing-Off For Inspiration While They Were Working On The First Film
During the course of making the first film, Snow revealed that the actors tuned in to this particular show for inspiration. Snow told LRM Online, “When we were shooting The Sing-Off was actually airing so I would always try to watch it. Actually a couple of the people in the movie were on The Sing-Off. The Sing-Off was the thing we all watched when we were doing the movie. It was cool seeing those people and then the ones that won the big a cappella competition played a cameo.”
7 To Be Able Star In And Direct Pitch Perfect 2, Elizabeth Banks Used A Body Double
When asked if her directing duties conflicted with her acting in the film, Banks told Redbrick, “It’s technically not difficult. I just set the shots up with a double, and they light it while I do my hair and makeup and I put three cameras on it so we can just get it done quickly.”
Aside from serving as a film director for the franchise once, Banks is also involved behind the scenes as a producer for all three films. Onscreen, she portrays the role of commentator Gail Abernathy-McKadden.
6 Hailee Steinfeld ‘Begged’ Elizabeth Banks And The Producers To Wait For Her To Audition In Person For Pitch Perfect 2 Because She Was Still Shooting Another Film
As it turns out, Steinfeld’s audition was complicated by the fact that she was busy filming another movie during the auditions period. While appearing on Live with Kelly and Ryan, Steinfeld recalled, “I heard that there was a part for me, and I was actually away making another movie, and I begged for them to wait for me to get to L.A. so I could come in and audition.”
She was also wary of auditioning via Skype, explaining, “I figured I’d lose connection in the middle of the audition and then it would just be terrible!”
5 Ben Platt Said A Lot Of Improv Was Utilized On Pitch Perfect 2
Depending on the film or tv show, some would allow improvisation more than others. In the case of the Pitch Perfect 2, it seems that improv was allowed, even welcomed, thanks to its director, Banks.
As Platt had explained to Geeks of Doom, “Definitely lots of improv in this film, and that was another great thing about having Elizabeth as a director, because of her comedic background in films like 40-Year-Old Virgin and Wet Hot American Summer. We all felt we were comfortable to do our own thing.”
4 Skylar Astin Revealed That A Storyline Involving Beca And Jesse Didn’t Make It To The Final Cut Of Pitch Perfect 2
As is the case with a lot of films, there are usually several scenes they’ve shot which never make it to the final cut. In the case of Pitch Perfect 2, Astin revealed that a whole storyline between his character and Anna Kendrick’s Becca was left out.
Astin told Geeks of Doom, “There is some tension between Jesse and Becca, a little bit of a life decision that was in their way, and when it all came together Jesse learned that he could be a little bit of Becca’s support system in this film…”
3 Anna Kendrick Said That That There Was A Script Change In Pitch Perfect 3 Regarding Her Character’s Romantic Story Arc
Over the course of the franchise, we’ve seen Kendrick’s Beca become involved with Skylar Astin’s Jesse Swanson. However, Astin did not appear in the third film and Becca was supposed to have another love interest.
While speaking with Collider, Kendrick explained, “One of the big changes was that the guy who shows up [Theo] originally was written as a romantic interest. I pushed back pretty hard on that because I thought it was a little problematic that a guy was coming into [Beca’s] life and being the more active character.”
2 To Star On Pitch Perfect 3, Ruby Rose Had To ‘Re-Learn’ How To Play The Guitar
In the last film, Rose portrayed Calamity, the lead singer of Evermoist and a rival to the Bellas. To prepare for this pretty intense role, Rose revealed that she had to “re-learn” playing the guitar after meeting with Banks.
She told Teen Vogue, “I was about to leave and she was like, ‘Uh, do you play the guitar?’ Eventually, she sent the script, and I saw Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Ester Dean, and Hailee Steinfeld and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I need to get this.’ So yeah, I’ve re-found my love of all things music.”
1 Anna Camp Noted How Remarkably Different The Third Film Was From The First One In Terms Of Scale And Scope
Like a lot of the women in the films, Camp has also been a part of the franchise since the first film came out in 2012. While working on the third installment, the actress noted how much bigger the production was compared when they were just starting out. She told Refinery29, “Brittany and I were saying, while they’re rigging explosives behind us and working out fire things for different scenes, how different it was. [In the first movie] we were wearing little blue suits and had these little scarves and hanging out at LSU campus…”
