1 of 2
2 of 2
One of the most buzzed-out films due this spring is Pitch Perfect 2and it just so happens to involve a pair of my colleagues, the talented music supervisors Julia Michels (The Devil Wears Prada, Sex and the City) and Julianne Jordan (The Bourne Identity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) of Format Entertainment. These two served as the executive music supervisors on the original Pitch Perfect in 2012 and are hoping to create the same kind of magic with the sequel, due May 15.
I caught up with them during a rare break in their relentless schedule on the mixing stage, and they kindly agreed to share what details they could about the highly anticipated movie! Of course, I had to ask whether there are any local ties to the film. The good news: They assured me that there is a very significant Nashville talent who makes an appearance on screen. The bad news: You'll have to wait till May to find out who it is. However, I can confirm that it's not Taylor Swift or Lady Antebellum.
As for the music, Michels explains that 'the first soundtrack has been on the Top 10 charts for two yearsit's [become] a cult classic.” And while both admitted to me that they had trepidations about venturing into the second film, Jordan adds, 'We all had experience under our belts, and the actors had become even better singers since the first production. To do something different and not alienate the fans, we had to take it up a level in terms of the intensityand with the mash-ups.” The mash-ups in Pitch Perfect were brilliant.
My favorite part of this story is that every record label passed on the initial soundtrack except Universal Music. Everyone who worked on that film agreed to humble fees, and it all seemed like a huge risk. They even had to use cardboard cutouts to create an 'audience” for the on-camera open casting calls during that shoot. The original soundtrack became the first million-selling theatrical film soundtrack since Michael Jackson's This Is Itand since then, every label has come calling. (They remained loyal to Universal.) But for the sequel, there were extras lining the blocks at the shoot, which took place in New Orleans.
Elizabeth Banks produced and acted in the first film; for Pitch Perfect 2, she also took over directing duties. Banks added a new singer to the a cappella group: Oscar-nominated Hailee Steinfeld, who becomes a big focus in this film. Behind the scenes, there were also plenty of surprises. 'One of the funniest inside stories is that the Green Bay Packers stalked the director to be in the film. They loved the first [one] so much that they insisted on being in the next,” Michels says. Clearly, everyone is thrilled that The Pitches are back.
Anastasia Brown is a music supervisor who splits her time between Nashville and L.A.