Elizabeth Banks will make her feature directorial debut with Pitch Perfect 2, the sequel to the hugely successful 2012 musical comedy. Banks, who co-starred and produced the original film, will also star in the follow-up alongside Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson and Skylar Astin (who are all expected to return).
Although Banks played an active creative role in the conception of the original Pitch Perfect, her talent as a director is relatively unknown. Despite this, the studio seems pretty confident in her abilities, as Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley recently told The Hollywood Reporter that:
Elizabeth originated the idea for Pitch Perfect and was instrumental in making the first film such a huge success. She brings an enormous amount of energy and experience to everything she works on and we’re thrilled that she is making her feature directorial debut on Pitch Perfect 2.
From her memorable bath tub scene in The 40 Year Old Virgin to her role as the perky Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games franchise, Banks has proven herself as a resilient actress. Hopefully she hasn’t bitten off more than she can chew by assuming a directorial role for Pitch Perfect 2. Given her large involvement in the first film, and the talent she’s surrounding herself with for the second, I’m confident that things will work out for the highly anticipated sequel.
Tell us, do you think Banks will be successful in her directorial debut? Let us know in the comments section below.