Sporting the numerous musical numbers and offbeat humor fans remember from the first installment while adding a few new characters and romantic storylines, the PITCH PERFECT 2 franchise returns to theaters this Friday now under the leadership of actress-turned-director Elizabeth Banks.

Stakes were higher this time around admitted Banks a few days ago during a press conference in Beverly Hills. She knew that delivering a sequel that could satisfy returning audiences and develop the already established world would be a challenge. “It was really important for all of us to find a story that felt very authentic and organic to this group of women and to the world we created in the first film” said Banks. But despite the added pressure, the director -who also returns as part of the cast in this film – didn’t forget to enjoy the moment, “I tried to be very serious about the work but also leave a lot of room to play. We are pretending for a living, so it should have a sense of playfulness.”

PITCH PERFECT 2

Still, even with the support of producers Paul Brooks and Max Handelman, Banks revealed that there was a particularly difficult sequence to pull off. The outdoor musical fest scenes were both rewarding and complex given that there were about 3,500 extras on set and the cast had to perform under unpleasant weather conditions. When all was said and done Banks had created a really memorable sequence and had a great anecdote to tell.

Similarly, one of the stars of the film, Rebel Wilson, had her own unforgettable moment while shooting, which involved co-star Adam DeVine. “Adam and I have had a long history of making out. Before PITCH PERFECT 2 I came on his show “Workaholics” and on the very first scene we did it. I didn’t even know him. We made out and he felt me up.”[Laughs]. Yet, this precedent couldn’t prepare Rebel for what happened on the set of this sequel, specifically during another make out sequence with DeVine, “Fun fact about that make out sequence is that they notice after filming that my pants were see-through, so a lot of the rolling around on the ground had to be cut. We went for like about 7 minutes, because we were going for like an MTV Award for Best Kiss! It’s all about the trophies. It had to be majorly cut down because you could see my underwear.”

PITCH PERFECT 2

Added to that hilarious incident Ms. Wilson also had to do some stunt work, which was not as prominent in the first film. It was a difficult task for the actress, just as much as shooting in the unforgiving heat of New Orleans, “I was sweating like a bushpig” explained Rebel about the physical challenges this was. Jokes aside, however, the comedic performer also acknowledge how important is for young girls to feel empowered by the film, especially those who don’t fit the traditional perception of beauty. “PITCH PERFECT 2 has a great girl power message … ‘Fat Amy’ and myself are very confident in our skin and I think that inspires [young girls].”

One of the few newcomers to this established cast was Academy Award-nominated teen actress Hallee Steinfeld who had never sung on screen. This was an unknown talent of hers that surprised everyone because of how good she is. “As an actor I was trying to find an opportunity so that I could sing, so when this came along, it was a dream role,” said Steinfeld. She confessed that joining such a talented and integrated team was a bit scary, “Walking into a world that was already established was as intimidating as it was exciting and thrilling.” With multiple projects in the horizon and lots of recognition at such a young age, the actress revealed she has no plans to go to college at the moment, but that it’s something she’d like to pursue when she is ready.

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On the boys’ side, Troublemakers Ben Platt, who plays Benji, and Skylar Astin, returning as Jesse, talked about how their characters developed into more mature men in this new movie. With Hallee Steinfeld joining the cast, Benji gets a new romantic interest, which is something that Platt really enjoyed, “For me, since Benji is such a character in the first film and has this magic thing and the Star Wars thing, in this film it was about discovering what he is like as a fleshed out person. Of course he still has his quirks, but that’s not the entirety of his character, he is also a guy who loves a girl.” While not disclosing many details, Astin explained that there were several scene sand subplots involving Anna Kendrick’s Becca that didn’t make into the film, but he hopes for fans to be able to see them at some point.

“It’s a pretty cool thing to leave a project and hope that people will want more,“ concluded Astin. He couldn’t be more right. Catch PITCH PERFECT 2 in theaters starting May 15th.

A collegiate a cappella group called the Barden Bellas enter into an international competition that no American team has ever won before.