While Rebel Wilson’s hosting gig at the MTV Movie Awards this past Sunday may not have been a hit with everyone, her performance with fellow Pitch Perfect cast members must have struck a chord.  Universal announced today during its presentation at CinemaCon that sequel to the 2012 sleeper hit is now in development for a planned 2015 release, and original writer Kay Cannon (30 Rock) is back on board as well.  Pitch Perfect focused on the world of collegiate a capella groups, detailing the struggles of an all-female group, the Barden Bellas, who desperately want to redeem themselves at the national championships.

The cast featured Wilson, Anna Kendrick, Anna Camp, Skylar Astin, Brittany Snow, Ester Dean, Alexis Knapp, Hanna Mae Lee, and Ben Platt.  No word on if the entire cast, director Jason Moore, or producer and cast member Elizabeth Banks are returning, but as development progresses, we can expect those announcements to be released.  Hit the jump for more.

Paramount Pictures has released the first two clips from director Michael Bay’s dark comedy Pain & Gain.  The film is based on a true story and stars Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson as two bodybuilders who get caught up in an extortion ring and kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong.  The first clip focuses more on the film’s humor than its flashy visuals, as we see Anthony Mackie’s bodybuilder character receiving questionable health care from a characteristically humorous Rebel Wilson.  The second clip shows the three of them trying to kidnap someone.

Hit the jump to watch the clips.  The film also stars Tony Shalhoub, Rob Corddry, and Bar Paly.  Pain & Gain opens on April 26th.

The voice cast for DreamWorks Animation’s sequel Kung Fu Panda 3 is starting to fill out quite nicely.  Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, and other unspecified actors are reprising their roles from the first two animated films, but Heat Vision reports that Bryan Cranston, Mads Mikkelsen, and Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect) have also been set as new additions to the film.  Kung Fu Panda 2 director Jennifer Yuh Nelson returns to helm the follow-up, which also sees the return of executive producer Guillermo del Toro, producer Melissa Cobb, co-producer Jeffrey Hermann, and writers/co-producers Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger.

Story details are firmly under wraps, but the ending of Kung Fu Panda 2 provides a strong hint that the third film will involve Black’s Po meeting his real father.  Del Toro previously told us that Kung Fu Panda 3 has “the most formidable villain in the series,” and either Cranston or Mikkelsen would certainly fit that bill.  Additionally, Kung Fu Panda 3 will now open on December 23, 2015 instead of March 2016.

Paramount Pictures has unveiled some new images and a couple of TV spots for director Michael Bay’s upcoming dark comedy Pain & Gain.  Based on a true story, the film stars Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson as two bodybuilders who get caught up in an extortion ring and kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong.  We recently got a look at a red-band trailer for the film that highlighted the pic’s more comedic aspects, and these images tease the characters played by Rebel Wilson and Ed Harris as well as inform us that Wahlberg and Johnson are indeed cool guys who don’t look at explosions.

Hit the jump to check out the images and TV spots.  The film also stars Anthony Mackie, Tony Shalhoub, Rob Corddry, and Bar Paly.  Pain & Gain opens on April 26th.

A new red-band trailer and some images for director Michael Bay’s upcoming dark comedy Pain & Gain have been released online.  Based on a true story, the film stars Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson as two bodybuilders who get caught up in an extortion ring and kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong.  The main focus of this trailer is on the film’s humor, some of which is great (Rebel Wilson and Wahlberg’s closing rant are highlights), while other jokes seem a bit forced and are reminiscent of the more juvenile stuff in Bay’s Transformers franchise.  Nevertheless, I’m very excited about the prospect of Bay tackling this “small-scale” true crime story, and Wahlberg and Johnson look to make a great comedic pairing.

Hit the jump to watch the new red-band trailer and to check out the new images.  The film also stars Anthony Mackie, Rob Corddry, Ed Harris, and Tony Shalhoub.  Pain & Gain opens on April 26th.

Paramount has released a new TV spot for director Michael Bay’s incredibly promising black comedy Pain & Gain.  Based on a true story, the film stars Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson as two bodybuilders who get caught up in an extortion ring and kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong.  The film’s first trailer is fantastic, and this TV spot does a great job of showcasing that pic’s charm and comedy.  Pain & Gain looks like it could actually be Bay’s most entertaining film yet, but I have a feeling they’re keeping some of the story’s more sordid details under wraps.  The real life ordeal is fairly horrific, though I expect Wahlberg and Johnson will bring enough levity/ridiculousness to the film to make it palatable.

Hit the jump to watch the latest TV spot.  Anthony Mackie, Rob Corddry, Ed Harris, Tony Shalhoub, and Rebel Wilson co-star.  Pain & Gain opens April 26, 2013.

Though formulaic to a fault, Pitch Perfect is the sort of film where you know pretty much everything that’s going to happen, but you enjoy the ride anyway.  Anna Kendrick leads a charming ensemble of girls who are in an a cappella singing group that competes in nationals.  Is it Bring it On meets Glee? Yes, but… it works.  Our review of Pitch Perfect on Blu-ray follows after the jump.

At a time when the East Coast is being savaged by what could be one of the most devastating storms on record in Hurricane Sandy, Yahoo has decided to release a trailer for Struck by Lightning.  Whether this is an innocent oversight or a callous PR move, don’t blame the filmmakers.  Among them are writer/star Chris Colfer, who is best known for his role on Fox’s Glee but channels his high school angst into this new teen dramedy feature.  Directed by Brian Dannelly (Saved!), Struck by Lightning follows Carson Phillips (Colfer), a misunderstood teen who uses blackmail as a last resort to catapult him towards his dream of becoming editor of The New Yorker.  The film also stars Rebel Wilson, Sarah Hyland, Allison Janney, Dermot Mulroney, Christina Hendricks, Allie Grant, and Angela Kinsey.  Hit the jump to check out the new trailer.

The hilarious new comedy Pitch Perfect, from director Jason Moore (Broadway’s Avenue Q) and screenwriter Kay Cannon (New Girl, 30 Rock), tells the story of Beca (Anna Kendrick), a young woman who dreams of being a music producer, but who instead finds herself at Barden University in an all-female a cappella singing group. With both new takes on old favorites and hits of right now, The Bellas fight to climb their way to the top of the cutthroat world of college music competitions. The film also stars Rebel Wilson, Skylar Astin, Adam Devine, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, John Michael Higgins and Elizabeth Banks.

At the film’s press junket, the incredibly funny Aussie actress Rebel Wilson, who plays the super-confident Fat Amy, talked about how getting the role in Bridesmaids (her first American job) changed things for her, how she sang the Lady Gaga song “Edge of Glory” for her Pitch Perfect audition, that she got to do a lot of improvising on set, just how outrageous things got between her and co-star Adam Devine (who plays the self-obsessed lead singer of rival group The Treblemakers), and her favorite song to sing in the film. She also talked about how she went from being a junior handler at dog shows in Australia to an actress, some crazy experiences she had in the theater (one of which included her actually falling off of the roof, in Fiddler on the Roof), how she’s just starting to be able to enjoy all of her current success, and that she’s developing a TV show for ABC, called Super Fun Night. Check out what she had to say after the jump.

Anna Kendrick is becoming an actress I trust instinctively.  I love watching her on screen, so if I am not sure about a movie, her presence will nudge me to go see.  Pitch Perfect is a good test case.  It’s a snarky college movie, which can be good but often isn’t.  The Kendrick Factor makes me want to check it out though, and it helps that the movie has been getting great early buzz.  Even if you haven’t fallen for Kendrick as hard as I have, you can check out 7 clips from Pitch Perfect to get a sense of the movie after the jump.

Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Alexis Knapp, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Adam Devine also star in the acapella comedy.  Directed by Jason Moore, Pitch Perfect opens October 5.

Generally speaking, I try and keep the Top 5 opening paragraph as topical as possible (i.e. films, television, posters, etc.). This week that protocol is easier than ever to follow as I recently got my first chance to check out director Gareth Evans‘ The Raid. Keeping this short and sweet, if you’ve yet to partake in The Raid and have ever derived any joy from watching action fare, martial arts, and the like, then you have a giant favor to do for yourself. Quickly find a way to check out this actioner and try to keep a smile from forming across your face while watching.

Movie recommendations aside, this weekend brings you a recap of all of our 2012 Toronto International Film Festival thus far, the first trailer and poster for Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, video interviews with the cast and director of Bachelorette, the inaugural installment of our Hollywood! Adapt This feature spotlighting Disney’s Gargoyles, and The Words video interviews with Bradley Cooper, co-writer/co-director Brian Klugman, and more. A brief recap and link to each awaits on the other side.

Now playing on VOD and opening in limited release this weekend is writer-director Leslye Headland‘s R rated comedy Bachelorette.  Here’s the official synopsis and trailer:

“On the night before an old friend’s wedding, three bridesmaids go searching for a little fun:  Regan (Kirsten Dunst) an overachieving, über-Maid of Honor who’s secretly smarting over the fact that she’s not the first to marry; Gena (Lizzy Caplan), a whip smart sarcastic who’s actually a closet romantic; and Katie (Isla Fisher), a ditzy beauty who loves the good life.  Though the bride to be (Rebel Wilson) insists on keeping the bachelorette party tame, the women proceed with an after-hours celebration of their own.  Bachelorette also stars Adam Scott, James Marsden and Kyle Bornheimer.”

During the recent Los Angeles press day, I got to speak with Rebel Wilson and Leslye Headland.  We talked about how the film premiered on iTunes and the evolving distribution model, whether the script changed during production, and I got updates on the About Last Night remake and Michael Bay‘s Pain and Gain (Wilson plays a supporting character).  Hit the jump to watch.

We’re happy to host an exclusive clip from debut director Leslye Headland’s Bachelorette as part of the virtual tour in anticipation of the film’s release.  While the footage we’ve seen so far highlights the film’s raunchy humor, this clip touches on a somewhat dramatic moment between Kirsten Dunst and James Marsden.  

Bachelorette, also starring Lizzy Caplan, Isla Fisher, Rebel Wilson, Adam Scott and Kyle Bornheimer hits theaters September 7th.  Hit the jump to check out the exclusive video along with the red-band and green-band trailers.

Another round of casting stories is coming your way! Here’s the nitty gritty:

• Alice Krige (Silent Hill) has been cast in an undisclosed role in Thor: The Dark World and teased fans, saying she may be “unrecognizable.”
• Rebel Wilson (Bachelorette) is set to star as the imaginative lead character at the heart of Miguel Arteta’s Unicorn Store, an indie comedy scripted by Samantha McIntyre.
• Alicia Minshew (All My Children) will play the female lead opposite Val Laurent (Sal) In the romantic drama Desires of the Heart, directed by James Kicklighter and Rajesh Rathi.

Hit the jump for more information on each of these films.

Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air) could do no wrong, even before this new clip of her engaging in a rap battle in director Jason Moore’s musical comedy film, Pitch Perfect.  Kendrick stars as Beca, a college student who stumbles into an a cappella club populated by a motley crew of girls whose only common link is their singing ability.  While the clip features other cast members joining in on the “riff off,” Kendrick steals the show at the end.

Also starring Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Alexis Knapp, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Adam Devine, Pitch Perfect opens October 5th.  Hit the jump to watch the clip and to see how you can make it into a music video for the movie.