Thanks to Pitch Perfect’s outstanding cast, the trilogy was a phenomenon. Of course, the ensemble memorably includes Rebel Wilson as fan-favorite Fat Amy. The character’s rambunctious behavior helped carry the Baden Bellas for all three films, especially since she had moments like that infamous Pitch Perfect 2 wardrobe malfunction. However, she almost wasn’t able to star in all three films. Now, the Fat Amy actress has revealed why the OG cast was nearly replaced for the threequel, and how she helped change those plans.
The Pitch Perfect alum made the shocking revelation in her memoir Rebel Rising (via Insider). This possible change-up came on the heels of the sequel’s tremendous box office success, grossing over $287 million worldwide. Despite its success, the franchise’s home studio, Universal Pictures, wanted to refresh the franchise before filming for the third flick began. Wilson mentioned the Barden Bellas’ ages played a role in the suggested change, saying:
They were going to replace us all with younger actresses, led by Hailee Steinfeld, whose character was introduced in ‘Pitch 2.’ This seemed like a pretty nasty and unnecessary thing to say to us hardworking gals right at the end of filming ‘Pitch 2.’ It was like a kick in the face to us original girls.
It’s understandable that Wilson and co. felt underappreciated and undermined after making the franchise quite successful. The first film was a sleeper hit-turned-cultural phenomenon, grossing over $115 million and bringing acapella to the mainstream. Of course, Pitch Perfect 2 appeared to set up Hailee Steinfeld as the next Barden Bella leader. However, it was the OG Bellas who helped the sequel to double the original’s gross.
The Senior Year star went into further detail, saying Universal wanted her, Anna Kendrick, and the OG Barden Bellas to do a pass-the-torch scene with Steinfeld. However, Wilson had a secret weapon in her back pocket – her law degree. The Hollywood star used her degree to help the group, saying:
As the lawyer in the group, I knew that this could help us. Since the studio didn’t think they needed us and deemed us too ‘old,’ they never signed up any of us for a third-picture deal like they did with some of the newer cast members. When ‘Pitch 2’ became the highest-grossing musical comedy film of ALL TIME, we totally had the leverage.
The sequel’s success helped Wilson and her co-stars secure their spots in Pitch Perfect 3. They used the box office numbers and research group data, which included Wilson’s housekeeper’s niece. She even got a huge payday of $10 million for the threequel. The comedic actress claimed she tried to get everyone to renegotiate, but managers got in the way.
The Pitch Perfect 3 story isn’t the first secret spilled from Rebel Wilson’s memoir. She called out former co-star Sacha Baron Cohen for allegedly creating a challenging on-set experience for her, which he adamantly denied.
Wilson’s memoir, Rebel Rising, is currently available in bookstores. The Jojo Rabbit star has multiple projects in the works too, including the action-comedy Bride Hard, which doesn’t have a release date yet. In the meantime, multiple upcoming movies are heading to theaters, so make sure to check out the 2024 movie schedule.