Fans of the Barden Bellas rejoice! Universal Pictures has released 8 brand new clips to further tease Pitch Perfect 2, the Elizabeth Banks-helmed sequel to the 2012 sleeper hit toplined by Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, and Brittany Snow. All three stars are returning, along with the rest of the Bellas, and there are few major additions to the cast, most promiment of them being Hailee Steinfeld as a new addition to the acapella champs. The clips pull from the run-up to the Bellas competing at the World Championship of Acapella, which will serve as the climax to the impending sequel. This also puts the film in weirdly close company with The Mighty Ducks 2, which also upgraded the franchise's conflict from local and national competitions to an international head-to-head battle. Well, actually, that tends to be the game with nearly any sports-centric film sequel, come to think of it.
Regardless, these clips certainly amp up anticipation and expectations for the musical comedy, especially considering that its predecessor currently holds the #2 spot in the list of highest grossing musical comedies, not all that far behind Richard Linklater's School of Rock. To be honest, you could have counted me in around the time the trailer for Pitch Perfect 2 teased a climactic take on Beyonce's "Run the World (Girls)" but there are plenty of other reasons to be getting pumped up here, not the least of which being a cameo by the great David Cross and the return of Workaholics breakout Adam DeVine as the hilarious Bumper. Oh, and also, ya know, the singing.
Pitch Perfect 2 will be released on May 15th in theaters nationwide.
