Who in the world actually wants a ‘Pitch Perfect 4’?
Hollywood doesn’t know when to quit. Pitch Perfect was a huge franchise in the 2010s, spawning three hit films and setting the record for highest-grossing musical comedy of all time. It ran its natural course, and yet, comments by cast and crew members have led to speculation that there may be a Pitch Perfect 4 in the works.
Rebel Wilson posted a photo on Instagram of her and fellow castmates Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, and Chrissie Fit each holding up four fingers. Wilson also captioned the post with four hearts, causing fans to question whether she was teasing the return of the Barden Bellas on the big screen.
Sequel baiting
This is not the first time cast members have stated their desire to continue the franchise. Wilson told ITV that she would be willing to reprise her character several more times in 2017, and discussed the possibility of doing so with the other actresses. “When they put out the poster for Pitch Perfect 3 it said, ‘Last call, Pitches’ and we were like, ‘What, are we out of a job?’ We want to do four and five,” she revealed.
“There’s many other acapella teams to battle out there, I personally think, and I love playing my character,” Wilson continued. “She’s such a fun, confident girl and I want to definitely continue to play her more. We have so many fans all around the world.” Camp assured Entertainment Tonight that she would “be there” for Pitch Perfect 4 and Anna Kendrick told Entertainment Weekly that she’d be willing to do Pitch Perfect sequels “forever”.
Diminishing returns
A reunion sounds fun on paper, but the franchise’s diminishing returns suggest it may not be great in execution. Pitch Perfect 3 was a financial success in 2017, but it grossed a whopping $100 million less than its predecessor. The critical response was also weaker, with The Hollywood Reporter lambasting the film’s “crass commercialism” for sucking the charm out of the original premise.
Director Trish Sie told The Hollywood Reporter that she was considering future story ideas despite the underwhelming response to Pitch Perfect 3. “I think whether it’s these women in the next stage of life or it’s a new group of women going through these things, I think there are endless ways to chart the course of the girls’ lives and a woman’s life,” she claimed. Sie has not provided any updates on the sequel since 2018.
Second generation
Pitch Perfect 4 would also have to deal with the poor track record of fourth installments. Franchises that venture beyond the structure of a trilogy usually find themselves in hot water, whether it be through tepid box office or venomous reactions from fans.
Batman & Robin (1997), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), and Terminator: Salvation (2009) are just some of the fourth installments that soured the reputations of their predecessors. In all of these cases, the studios saw fit to recast or introduce new characters, much in the same way Sie discussed doing with Pitch Perfect 4.
Swan song
The odds of getting a Pitch Perfect 4 at this point are slim, especially given how little the cast knows about the current state of the film. Hailee Steinfeld appeared on an episode of Watch What Happens in 2019, and she admitted to being completely in the dark as to whether she would reprise her Pitch Perfect character.
“I have no idea and I mean that truthfully,” Steinfeld revealed. “If [true], I would love to do that again. So, if there is a fourth, that would be news to me and very exciting news.” Despite the genuine enthusiasm of those involved, we really hope the Barden Bellas stay aca-retired.
