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Anna Kendrick on Making Pitch Perfect 3: ‘I’m Not One to Count My Chickens’

3 minute read

Pitch Perfect 2 doesn’t come out until May 15, but chatter about a possible third installment already feels as ubiquitous as, well, “Cups” circa 2013. Rebel Wilson, who plays the scene-stealing Fat Amy, said she’s already signed on to be in another installment, though the studio hasn’t confirmed that another is even happening. Elizabeth Banks, who is making her feature-film directorial debut with the movie, recently told Entertainment Weekly, “I’m really focused on putting this movie out and then letting the audience tell us what to do next.”

But what about Anna Kendrick, whose role as surly new recruit Beca helped turn the modest box-office success into an international sleeper hit that spawned a top 10 Billboard single? She, like Banks, is waiting to see what happens with the new film before making any plans. “I’m not one to count my chickens, so I just want to see how this one does and find out if there’s an appetite for that before I even think about it,” Kendrick tells TIME. “I’ll drive myself crazy.”

Kendrick was initially hesitant about participating in Pitch Perfect 2, worried that a follow-up to the 2012 film about the quirky world of collegiate a capella would go the way of other half-assed comedy sequels. But what drew her back to the franchise, she says, was the participation of her original co-stars. “I didn’t know if they were just going to do a sloppy seconds version of it, and that was the thing that made me nervous,” she said. “When I found out it was really going forward and it was going to be a real movie and everybody was coming back—there was no way I was going to miss out on that.”

But don’t let the trailers and their pillow fights fool you: working closely to learn the new songs and choreography is nothing like hanging out with your college pals. “You get as close during the rehearsal process as you would get working in an office,” Kendrick says. Aca-scuse me? “There’s so much of it that’s mundane that I wish it was pillow fights and campfire stories, but it’s a lot of banality and getting the job done and asking questions. I always feel like I’m letting people down when I’m like, ‘You know, it’s a job!’”

Though Pitch Perfect 2 helps kick off the summer movie season, Kendrick says part of the film’s appeal lies in how little it has in common with other blockbusters and their penchants for explosive action and car chases. “Even though the stakes are really high for these girls, the stakes in the grand scheme of things are super low,” she says. “My inspiration for the first movie, and hopefully for the second movie, was always Dodgeball. The universe of the movie is built on really low stakes, but I find that really charming! It doesn’t have to be like, the city’s going to blow up if we don’t defuse the bomb. It’s just people wanting to win.”

See the Best Guest Stars on Glee

GLEE: Shelby (guest star Idina Menzel, L) and Rachel (Lea Michele, R) sing together in the "Dream On" episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, May 18 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2010 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Rose/FOX
Idina Menzel as Shelby CorcoranFox
GLEE: Britney Spears (R) and Heather Morris (L) on the set of GLEE for the "Britney Britney" episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, Sept. 28 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2010 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Rose/FOX
Britney Spears as herselfFox
GLEE: School board member Bryan Ryan (guest star Neil Patrick Harris, L) evaluates Will's (Matthew Morrison, R) glee club in the "Dream On" episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, May 18 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2010 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Michael Yarish/FOX
Neil Patrick Harris as Bryan RyanFox
GLEE: Josh Groban (guest-starring as himself) gives the guys two thumbs up after watching their performance in the "Acafellas" episode of GLEE airing Wednesday, Sept. 16 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Carin Baer/FOX
Josh Groban as himselfFox
GLEE: Puck (Mark Salling, R), Matt (Dijon Talton, L) and Mike (Harry Shum Jr., back) escort April Rhodes (guest star Kristin Chenoweth, C) through McKinley High's hallways in the GLEE episode "The Rhodes Not Taken" airing Wednesday, Sept. 30 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Carin Baer/FOX
Kristin Chenoweth as April RhodesFox
GLEE: Will (Matthew Morrison, L) visits  the head of a rival glee club (guest star Eve, R) in the "Hairography" episode airing Wednesday, Nov. 25 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Carin Baer/FOX
Eve as Grace HitchensFox
GLEE: Sue (Jane Lynch, L) is made fun of by Brenda (guest-star Molly Shannon) on the "Bad Reputation" episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, May 4 (9:00 PM-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2010 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Michael Yarish/FOX
Molly Shannon as Brenda CastleFox
GLEE: Dr. Carl (guest star John Stamos, L) checks out Will's (Matthew Morrison, R) dental hygiene in the "Britney/Brittany" episode of GLEE airing Tuesay, Sept. 28 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2010 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Adam Rose/FOX
John Stamos as Dr. CarlFox
GLEE: Holly (guest star Gwyneth Paltrow, L) fills in for the absent sex-education teacher in the "Sexy" episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, March 8 (8:00-9:01 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2011 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Rose/FOX
Gwyneth Paltrow as Holly HollidayFox
GLEE: Guest star Katie Couric (as herself, L) interviews Sue (Jane Lynch, R) in a special episode of GLEE airing after SUPER BOWL XLV on Sunday, Feb. 6 (approx. 10:30-11:30 PM ET; approx. 7:30-8:30 PM PT) on FOX.  ©2011 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Michael Yarish/FOX
Katie Couric as herselfFox
GLEE: David (guest star Ricky Martin, C) performs with Brittany (Heather Morris, L) and Mike (Harry Shum Jr., R) in "The Spanish Teacher" episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, Feb. 7 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2012 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Rose/FOX
Ricky Martin as David MartinezFox
GLEE: Blaine's older brother Cooper (guest star Matt Bomer) teaches an acting master class to the glee club in "Big Brother," the Spring Premiere episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, April 10 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2012 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Rose/FOX
Matt Bomer as Cooper AndersonFox
GLEE: Lindsay Lohan (guest-starring as herself) judges the competition in the second hour of a special two-hour "Props/Nationals" episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, May 15 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2012 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Rose/FOX
Lindsay Lohan as herselfFox
GLEE: Carmen (guest star Whoopi Goldberg, C) sneaks in to watch Nationials in the second hour of a special two-hour "Props/Nationals" episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, May 15 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2012 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Rose/FOX
Whoopi Goldberg as Carmen TibideauxFox
GLEE: James Lipton guest-stars as himself in the "Goodbye" season finale episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, May 22 (9:00- 10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2012 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Adam Rose/FOX
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GLEE: Gloria Estefan (R) guest-stars as Santana's (Naya Rivera, L) mother in the "Goodbye" season finale episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, May 22 (9:00- 10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2012 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Adam Rose/FOX
Gloria Estefan as Maribel LopezFox
GLEE: Kurt (Chris Colfer, L) interns at Vogue.com with Isabelle Klempt (guest star Sarah Jessica Parker, R) in the "Makeover" episode of GLEE airing Thursday, Sept. 27 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2012 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Mike Yarish/FOX
Sarah Jessica Parker as Isabelle WrightFox
GLEE: Cassandra (guest star Kate Hudson, L) chats with Rachel (Lea Michele, R) in the "Glease" episode of GLEE airing Thursday, Nov. 15 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2012 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Jordin Althaus/FOX
Kate Hudson as Cassandra JulyFox
GLEE: Santana (Naya Rivera, R) meets Dani (guest star Demi Lovato, L) in the "Tina in The Sky With Diamonds" episode of GLEE airing Thursday, Oct. 3 (9:00 PM-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.  ©2013 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Michael Becker/FOX
Demi Lovato as DaniFox
GLEE: Tyra Banks guest-stars in the "Movin Out" episode of GLEE airing Thursday, Nov. 21 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2013 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Mike Yarish/FOX
Tyra Banks as BichetteFox
GLEE: Elliott (guest star Adam Lambert, R) meets up with Kurt (Chris Colfer, L) in the "New New York" episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, April 1 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Eddy Chen/FOX
Adam Lambert as Elliott GilbertFox
GLEE: Shirley MacLaine guest-stars in the "Back-Up Plan" episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, April 29 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2014 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Tyler Golden/FOX
Shirley MacLaine as June DollowayFox
GLEE: Kristen Schaal guest-stars as a famous television writer in the "The Untitled Rachel Berry Project" season finale episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, May 14 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2014 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Mike Yarish/FOX
Kristen Schaal as Mary HalloranFox
GLEE: Guest star Carol Burnett (L) and Sue (Jane Lynch, R) perform in the "The Rise and Fall of Sue Sylvester" episode of GLEE airing Friday, March 6 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2015 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Eddy Chen/FOX
Carol Burnett as Doris SylvesterFox
GLEE: Ken Jeong guest stars in the "Wedding" episode of GLEE airing Friday, Feb. 20 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2015 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Adam Rose/FOX
Ken Jeong as Pierce PierceFox

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Write to Nolan Feeney at nolan.feeney@time.com