Go big or go home, Pitches. The first full trailer for Pitch Perfect 2 just dropped, and it immediately reminds us – in the most melodious of ways – why we love the first movie, and why we are ready to get in line for second helpings of a capella harmony with the Bellas.
The trailer starts off beautifully, with an a capella throwback rendition of Anna Kendrick’s own breakout smash, Cups. But before you go fearing that Pitch Perfect 2 forgot the bawdy humor that sold the original, we immediately get the adorable sight of Kendrick making fart noises on her arm in order to get the Bellas into an exclusive song-and-dance competition. Oh, Pitch Perfect 2 -- how do you know us so well?
As is the case with most sequels, Pitch Perfect 2 takes what you liked about the original and blows it up so that it plays on a bigger stage (which, in this case, is literal). The Bellas appear to be competing in a World Cup-type of singing competition, which only comes around every four years and – in the past – has been dominated by international singing teams. Because everyone hates America, we are told by the original competition commentators Gail Abernathy-McKadden (Elizabeth Banks) and John Smith (John Michael Higgins).
Elizabeth Banks isn’t just co-starring in Pitch Perfect 2, though. The talented actress is pulling double duty by slipping behind the camera to make her feature-length directorial debut with the musical-comedy sequel. And by the looks of the footage in this first trailer, Banks isn’t going small. There are massive crowd sequences, collaborative and choreographed singing routines, and plenty of the ribald humor that won over the first Pitch Perfect crowd. In an interview with EW, though, Banks was all self-deprecating, joking:
"This is the stupidest idea I’ve ever had. My first movie is this huge studio movie that a lot of people care about that also happens to be a musical with massive dance numbers. I don’t know what I was thinking."
Is she right to worry? Maybe, but the first trailer has the right balance of energy and humor. I think she’s going to be just fine. Find out when Pitch Perfect 2 opens in theaters on May 15, 2015.
