Pitch Perfect (franchise)

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Pitch Perfect
Pitch Perfect logo, as seen on the movie poster of the first film.
Directed by
Written byKay Cannon (1–3)
Mike White (3)
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography
Edited by
Music by
Production
company
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release dates
  • 1: September 28, 2012 (2012-09-28)
  • 2: May 15, 2015 (2015-05-15)
  • 3: December 22, 2017 (2017-12-22)
Running time
320 minutes (1–3)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
BudgetTotal (3 films):
$91 million
Box officeTotal (3 films):
$453,000,000

Pitch Perfect is a series of musical comedy films created by Kay Cannon, loosely based on the non-fiction book Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate a Cappella Glory by Mickey Rapkin. Jason Moore directed the first film, and Elizabeth Banks directed the second and Trish Sie directed the third and final film. Paul Brooks, Max Handelman, and Banks produced the films. It features an ensemble cast, including Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Skylar Astin, Adam DeVine, Ben Platt, Alexis Knapp, Hana Mae Lee, Ester Dean, Hailee Steinfeld, Chrissie Fit, Katey Sagal, John Michael Higgins, and Banks. The series is distributed by Universal Pictures.

The first film was a sleeper hit. It received positive reviews and was financially successful, grossing over $115 million against a $17 million budget. A sequel was made and released in 2015, to much greater financial success, grossing over $287 million against $29 million budget. The series has since gained a cult following, grossing $433 million worldwide, and the second film is the current highest grossing musical comedy film of all time, beating School of Rock's record.

Films

Pitch Perfect (2012)

Main article: Pitch Perfect

The film focuses on a female a cappella group, The Barden Bellas, from Barden University. They are disgraced because a member, Aubrey Posen (Anna Camp), vomits onstage during their performance at a national a cappella competition. Determined to get back to the top, the now senior Aubrey and co-lead Chloe Beale (Brittany Snow) desperately recruit new members, which include women who actually do not fit into the Bellas' standards. Aubrey wants everything done her way. Beca Mitchell (Anna Kendrick) is a rebellious freshman who initially isn't interested in college. She attends college because of her father's (John Benjamin Hickey) order. She joins The Bellas after being persuaded by Chloe after she hears Beca singing in the shower. She forms a friendship with fellow freshman, Jesse Swanson (Skylar Astin), who eventually joins a popular all-male Barden a cappella group, The Treblemakers, led by the egostical Bumper Allen (Adam DeVine). Tension rises between Aubrey and Beca. Beca thinks that by using a new and more modern setlist, The Bellas has chances to win, while Aubrey insists that they're going to be victors by sticking to the traditions; using the same setlist The Bellas has been using for years. Their tension heats up when Beca, seeing the crowds getting bored by their performance, improvises a different song onstage, which makes Aubrey furious. Beca exits the group, while The Bellas lose anyway. As this happens, Beca shuts Jesse away. The Bellas are reinstated again after a rival team is disqualified because their leader is still in high school. When the group, apart from Beca, reforms, Aubrey becomes increasingly controlling and critical to every member during a rehearsal, much to everyone's, especially Chloe, limits. Meanwhile, Beca realizes that she loves being a Bella and tries to apologize to Jesse, which he declines. The rehearsal turns chaotic just before Beca comes and apologizes to Aubrey. Aubrey takes her back in, and after everyone sharing an honest heart-to-heart conversation, Aubrey gives Beca the chance to lead them. Just before the finals, Bumper leaves the Trebles to be John Mayer's back-up singer. He is replaced by Jesse's dorky roommate Benji Applebaum (Ben Platt), who was previously rejected by Bumper at the beginning. The Bellas finally find their harmony and performs a final performance with an improved set list, which leads them to victory. Beca reunites with Jesse with one of the songs on the setlist, which happens to be a song from Jesse's favorite movie. They share a kiss and start a relationship. Six months later, The Bellas and The Trebles are holding an audition, with Aubrey and Chloe nowhere to be seen, implying they've graduated.

Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)

Main article: Pitch Perfect 2

Set three years after the first film ended, Beca, now the co-leader of the Barden Bellas with Chloe (who purposely failed her Russian literature course for three years so she can still be in the Bellas), is now a senior. During a performance for President Barack Obama, a member, Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson), accidentally rips her pants in front of the crowd, creating a national sensation. As a result, the Bellas are suspended and prohibited from performing in any competitions. A special provision states that they could be reinstated if they win an international a cappella championship, which no American team has ever won. At the same time, Beca starts a music producing internship which only her boyfriend Jesse knows about. She keeps it a secret from the other Bellas, fearing Chloe will be angry that her attention is divided. A new freshman, Emily Junk (Hailee Steinfeld), joins the Bellas in the hopes of following her mother, Katherine Junk (Katey Sagal) who was also a Bella in her day. She is an excellent songwriter and composes an original song titled "Flashlight". The Bellas have to face their biggest challenge, an intimidating and arrogant German a cappella group, Das Sound Machine. Meanwhile, Fat Amy starts a casual relationship with Bumper, who returns as a security guard, before realizing they have fallen in love with each other. On their journey to the World Championship, the Bellas begin to drift apart and lose their harmony, blaming each other for the growing problems. Chloe takes them to a motivational retreat that is run by a former Bella, Aubrey Posen. During the time they are supposed to be bonding, Beca becomes frustrated, and an argument with Chloe erupts. She wants to focus on the world beyond the Bellas, while Chloe wants everyone to be committed to the group. This angers Beca, who on her way out, gets trapped in a net. After she is released, the Bellas and Aubrey gather around a campfire, sharing a meaningful talk about their futures after graduation. They sing a heartwarming rendition of "Cups" and find their lost harmony again. After graduation, they head to the world championships. Before the Bellas go onstage, Benji and Emily kiss, as Benji has been attracted to her since the beginning of the film. They include "Flashlight" in their setlist and are joined onstage by some former Bellas, including Aubrey and Katherine. They outperform Das Sound Machine and are declared the World Acapella Champions. The film ends with the senior Bellas giving Emily a proper initiation before their departure from college.

Pitch Perfect 3 (2017)

Main article: Pitch Perfect 3

On June 10, 2015, a third film was officially confirmed, with Kay Cannon returning to write the script.[1] The film was slated to be released on July 21, 2017, before being pushed back to August 4, 2017, before moving back to the July 21 slot.[2] Finally it was decided to be released on December 22, 2017. Several days later it was announced both Kendrick and Wilson would reprise their roles, and later Brittany Snow was also confirmed to return.[3] Hailee Steinfeld is also going to reprise her role.[4] On October 18, 2016, Anna Camp was also confirmed to be returning. On January 2, 2017, Ester Dean and Chrissie Fit both confirmed that they were heading to Atlanta to film the third installment, reprising their roles.[5] Banks was going to return to direct, and also as a producer along with Max Handelman and Paul Brooks.[6] Banks later announced that she would be stepping down as director due to scheduling conflicts and parental responsibilities, but would remain a producer.[7]

Development

Development and production

The film is based on Mickey Rapkin's non-fiction book Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate a Cappella Glory. Rapkin, senior editor at GQ magazine, spent a season covering competitive collegiate a cappella. He followed the Tufts University Beelzebubs, the University of Oregon Divisi (the loose inspiration for the Bellas), and the University of Virginia Hullabahoos, who have a cameo in the film. Rapkin's book mainly covers the singing, groupies, partying and rivalries. Two members of the a cappella community, Deke Sharon, who founded the International Championship of College A Cappella, and Ed Boyer, both in Rapkin's book, were brought on board to arrange songs, produce vocals and act as on-site music directors, where they ran a month-long "a cappella boot camp".[8] The film was shot throughout campus and inside buildings at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Elizabeth Banks is a co-producer and a co-star in the film.

Casting

The casting department included Justin Coulter, Rich Delia, Allison Estrin, and Michael Roth.[9] One of the producers, Paul Brooks, stated "First and foremost, we were looking for actors who had comedic instincts and thought we'd get lucky with terrific actors who happened to be funny and can actually dance and maybe sing. It turns out we did get lucky with our cast!" According to producer Elizabeth Banks, "The character Beca required someone who was grounded, who has a strong point of view on the world, who is funny and empathetic and someone who we can all relate to and root for." Of Kendrick she said, "Anna is all those things, and there was no other choice." Fellow producer Brooks said "I saw Anna in Up in the Air and thought it was the most exquisite, elegant, balanced, sublime performance. Anna was our first choice for the role of Beca."[10]

When casting the character of Jesse, Max Handelman said "We were looking for a young John Cusack-type guy. We needed to find someone who was kind of awkward but not a geek, but not so cool that you're not rooting for him." Skylar Astin was chosen for the role. Of Astin's audition, Banks said the chemistry between Skylar and Anna when they read together prior to shooting was "clear and they were able to riff off each other."[11]

Rebel Wilson was recognized for her performance in the comedy film Bridesmaids upon auditioning for the role of Fat Amy, which she won instantly. Moore recalled Wilson singing Lady Gaga's "The Edge of Glory" while beating "on her chest with her fists." He said, "I didn't even hear the end of the song because I was laughing so hard. There's this beautiful openness to the way Rebel approaches everything, and that's what works great for the character. She's fearless."[12] Adam DeVine was personally chosen by Banks and Handelman for the role of Bumper after they saw him on the television series Workaholics. Banks said that she and her husband are "big Workaholics fans," and after watching one night during the film's casting, they saw DeVine and "immediately thought" he would be a good choice for Bumper. He initially declined because he was not a singer. DeVine eventually surprised Banks and Handelman with his vocal skills.[13] Anna Camp was chosen for the role of Aubrey. Producer Max Handelman said, "Elizabeth and I were huge fans of Anna's from True Blood. Aubrey is set up as the antagonist for Beca, and Beca's already a bit hard-edged, so it was so important to find an actress who could play Aubrey as someone who could marshal the crazy but also was sympathetic."[14]

Cast & Crew

Cast

Character Films
Pitch Perfect
(2012) 		Pitch Perfect 2
(2015) 		Pitch Perfect 3
(2017)
Beca Mitchell Anna Kendrick
Aubrey Posen Anna Camp
Chloe Beale Brittany Snow
Patricia "Fat Amy" Rebel Wilson
Lilly Onakuramara Hana Mae Lee
Stacie Conrad Alexis Knapp
Cynthia-Rose Adams Ester Dean
Jessica Smith Kelley Jakle
Ashley Jones Shelley Regner
Jesse Swanson Skylar Astin
Benji Applebaum Ben Platt
Bumper Allen Adam DeVine
Alice / Legacy Bella Kether Donohue
Donald Utkarsh Ambudkar
Luke Freddie Stroma
John Smith John Michael Higgins
Gail Abernathy-McKadden-Feinberger Elizabeth Banks
Dr. Benjamin Mitchell John Benjamin Hickey
Tommy Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Emily Junk Hailee Steinfeld
Florencia Fuentes Chrissie Fit
Katherine Junk Katey Sagal
Kommissar Birgitte Hjort Sørensen
Pieter Krämer Flula Borg
Fergus John Lithgow
Camality Ruby Rose
Charity Andy Allo
Theo Guy Burnet
Chicago Walp Matt Lanter
Note: A light grey cell indicates the character who did not appear in that film.

Crew

Crew/Detail Films
Pitch Perfect
(2012) 		Pitch Perfect 2
(2015) 		Pitch Perfect 3
(2017)
Director(s) Jason Moore Elizabeth Banks Trish Sie
Producer(s) Paul Brooks
Max Handelman
Elizabeth Banks
Marc Platt (3)
Screenwriter Kay Cannon
Mike White (3)
Composer Christophe Beck
Mark Kilian 		Mark Mothersbaugh Christopher Lennertz
Cinematography Julio Macat Jim Denault Matthew Clark
Editor Lisa Zeno Churgin Craig Alpert Craig Alpert
Colin Patton
Production company Gold Circle Films Gold Circle Films
Brownstone Productions
Marc Platt Productions
Distributor Universal Pictures
Release date September 28, 2012 May 15, 2015 December 22, 2017
Runtime 112 minutes 115 minutes 93 minutes

Reception

Critical response

Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore
Pitch Perfect 80% (142 reviews)[15] 66 (33 critics)[16] A[17]
Pitch Perfect 2 65% (196 reviews)[18] 63 (39 critics)[19] A-[20]
Pitch Perfect 3 31% (97 eviews)[21] 40 (33 critics)[22] A–[23]
Average 58% 56 A–

Box office performance

Film Release date Box office gross Box office ranking Budget Reference
United States
opening weekend 		North America Other
territories 		Worldwide All time
North America 		All time
worldwide
Pitch Perfect September 28, 2012 (2012-09-28) $14,846,830 $65,001,093 $50,349,333 $115,350,426 #1,139 — $17 million [24]
Pitch Perfect 2 May 15, 2015 (2015-05-15) $69,216,890 $184,296,230 $103,209,964 $287,504,194 #197 #414 $29 million [25]
Pitch Perfect 3 December 22, 2017 (2017-12-22) $19,928,525 $40,320,585 $9,800,000 $30,251,000 #1,980 $45 million [26]
Total $269,748,323 $163,359,297 $433,105,620 — $91 million [27]

References

  1. ^ "'Pitch Perfect 3' Moving Forward at Universal With Writer Kay Cannon (Exclusive)". hollywoodreporter.com. 6 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  2. ^ "'Pitch Perfect 3' Changes Its Performance Date To August 2017". deadline.com. 29 September 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  3. ^ "'Pitch Perfect 3' Chimes In With Summer 2017 Date; Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson Back". deadline.com. 15 June 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  4. ^ "Hailee Steinfeld joins Pitch Perfect 3". mtv.com. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  5. ^ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/pitch-perfect-3-adds-anna-939099
  6. ^ "Elizabeth Banks to Direct 'Pitch Perfect 3' (EXCLUSIVE)". variety.com. 27 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  7. ^ "Elizabeth Banks Pulls Out of 'Pitch Perfect 3' Directing Gig Due to Mom Duties". usmagazine.com. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  8. ^ http://www.cinemareview.com/production.asp?prodid=11128
  9. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1981677/fullcredits#cast
  10. ^ http://www.pitchperfectmovie.com/pdf/production_notes.pdf
  11. ^ http://www.pitchperfectmovie.com/pdf/production_notes.pdf
  12. ^ http://www.pitchperfectmovie.com/pdf/production_notes.pdf
  13. ^ http://www.pitchperfectmovie.com/pdf/production_notes.pdf
  14. ^ http://www.pitchperfectmovie.com/pdf/production_notes.pdf
  15. ^ "Pitch Perfect: Reviews RT". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  16. ^ "Pitch Perfect: Reviews MC". Metacritic. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  17. ^ Andrew Stewart (October 7, 2012). "'Taken 2′ nabs $50 mil to double predecessor's debut take". Variety.
  18. ^ "Pitch Perfect 2: Reviews RT". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  19. ^ "Pitch Perfect 2: Reviews MC". Metacritic. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  20. ^ "Pitch Perfect 2: Reviews CS". CinemaScore. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  21. ^ "Pitch Perfect 3 (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  22. ^ "Pitch Perfect 3 reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  23. ^ Anthony D'Alessandro (December 22, 2017). "Last Jedi' Raises Cume To $296M+; 'Jumanji' At $16M+ Through Two Days, 'Pitch Perfect 3' Sings $2.1M In Previews". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  24. ^ "Pitch Perfect". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  25. ^ "Pitch Perfect 2". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  26. ^ "Pitch Perfect 3 (2017)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  27. ^ "Pitch Perfect Trilogy". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 24, 2017.

External links

IMDb links for Pitch Perfect films
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