Following the success of helming “Pitch Perfect 2,” Elizabeth Banks is set to return as the director of the next installment in the Universal and Gold Circle Entertainment musical-comedy, sources tell Variety.
Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow and Rebel Wilson have already closed deals to return, with Kay Cannon on board to pen the script. The studio recently dated the film to bow on Aug. 4, 2017, but at the time Banks was weighing other projects to direct and hadn’t committed to return.
The multi-hyphenate is currently attached to helm Uni’s “Red Queen” adaptation and Sony’s “Charlie’s Angels” reboot, but both films are still in development.
The 2012 original grossed $113 million worldwide, while “Pitch Perfect 2″ has more than doubled that, grossing $286 million worldwide to date on a $29 million budget.
The original film was adapted from Mickey Rapkin’s book “Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory.”
Paul Brooks of Gold Circle Entertainment and Banks and Max Handelman of Brownstone Productions are returning to produce.
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On the acting side, Banks is coming off a critically acclaimed role in the Brian Wilson biopic “Love & Mercy” and will be seen next in “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2.” She will host “Saturday Night Live” on Nov. 14. She is repped by UTA, Untitled and Ziffren Brittenham.
