Pitch Perfect File

(Aubrey) and Anna Camp (Chloe) rounded out the Bellas. The male leads— Skylar Astin (Jesse), Ben Platt (Benji), and Adam DeVine (Bumper)—were all Broadway or comedy veterans. The Treblemakers were cast for vocal ability; the Barden Bellas were cast for comedic timing. Part 4: The First Film (The Underdog That Won) Pitch Perfect (2012) had a troubled shoot. Director Jason Moore had never made a movie; the "riff-off" scene took three days to film; and test audiences hated the "break-up scene" (Beca missing the finals). The studio demanded reshoots to add more Rebel Wilson.

Her script was raw, raunchy, and smart. She created (based on a composite of real singers), a cynical DJ who sees a cappella as a joke, and Chloe , the optimistic senior desperate to win. Cannon pitched it as The Bad News Bears meets Mean Girls with beatboxing. Pitch Perfect

The plot—the Bellas get suspended after a notorious "wardrobe malfunction" at the Lincoln Center and must win the World Championships in Copenhagen—was bigger but riskier. wrote a darker script exploring post-college anxiety. (Aubrey) and Anna Camp (Chloe) rounded out the Bellas

The "Riff-Off" scene (featuring songs from 2015-2017) is considered the best in the trilogy. And the final scene—the Bellas singing one last, quiet, imperfect rendition of "Freedom! '90" as they pack up their gear—was a surprisingly moving farewell. Part 4: The First Film (The Underdog That

Universal dumped it in September (a dead month for movies). It opened to just $14 million—a "failure." But then, something unprecedented occurred. College students started buying tickets in groups. They returned a second time. Acapella groups organized screenings. The film’s soundtrack hit #1 on iTunes. It became the biggest slow-burn hit of 2012, grossing $115 million on a $17 million budget. The "Cups" song (Anna Kendrick’s folk arrangement) became a multi-platinum viral sensation. Part 5: The Sequel (The Hangover Problem) Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) faced immense pressure. Director Jason Moore left over creative differences; Elizabeth Banks stepped in as director (her debut). The budget ballooned to $29 million.

But when the film was screened at in March 2012, something magical happened. The audience lost their minds during the finale performance of "Don't Stop the Believin’." They laughed at every Fat Amy line. Word spread like wildfire.