Summary
- Too much time has passed since the last Pitch Perfect movie, making it unnecessary for a fourth installment to be made.
- The logical progression of the previous movies no longer makes sense, as the characters have moved on from college and their time in the a cappella group.
- The spinoff show, Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin, without the original female cast, already proved that the charm and talent of the leads were what drew fans to the franchise, and without them, the Pitch Perfect concept doesn’t work the same.
The Pitch Perfect movie franchise was one of the surprise hits of the past decade, but too much time has passed for another Pitch Perfect movie to be produced. Despite the three original films earning more than $550 million at the global box office and a spinoff television show being produced, there was a time when it seemed like a foregone conclusion that a fourth Pitch Perfect movie would be made. Now that six years have passed since Pitch Perfect 3, however, it is unnecessary for the Bellas to try and get together again.
There are many theories as to why Pitch Perfect 4 never happened, but one of the significant reasons is that many members of the cast of the Pitch Perfect movies were driven to super-stardom through these roles, with another sequel becoming more difficult due to their various ongoing responsibilities. With the original trilogy all coming out within a span of five years, the timeline made sense for movies built around characters in college, but after another six years, Pitch Perfect 4‘s story would be more difficult to justify.
Too Much Time Has Passed For Pitch Perfect 4
The timeline of the three Pitch Perfect movies followed a logical progression that allowed the characters to keep coming back to Barden University even after some graduated. In each of the second and third films, a character who entered as a first-year student in the previous movie was still at the school leading the Bellas’ a cappella group. This logical progression of time and development for the characters made sense when some of them were still in college, but now too much time has passed for a Barden college storyline to realistically make sense.
The ending of Pitch Perfect 3 (which also had the tagline “Last Call, Pitches,” adding some finality to the movie series) all had the Bellas or former Bellas leave for new stages of their lives. After the plot of the third film dealt with many of the former members struggling to find meaning in their careers and lives outside the Bellas, their time together and final show on a USO tour helped them close that chapter of their lives and move forward. Some other outside force apart from Barden University would have to draw them back together now that the timeline has moved forward six years.
The Pitch Perfect Spinoff Show Proved That The Franchise Has Run Its Course
In November 2022, Peacock released the six-episode first season of Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin, a spinoff of the original trilogy that starred Adam DeVine’s character, Bumper, in Berlin trying to make it as a pop star. The series debuted to middling reviews and harsh criticism that it was nothing like the original set of films. In September 2023, despite a second season already being announced, Universal/Peacock canceled Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin season 2, due to schedule delays during the Hollywood strikes.
With none of the original female cast as part of the show, Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin proved that it was not just the concept or musical creativity drawing fans to the original movies. What kept viewers coming back to the trilogy of movies was the charm, camaraderie, and talent of the female leads of Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, and Brittany Snow. Without them, the Pitch Perfect idea doesn’t work. The Pitch Perfect franchise was wildly popular for more than five years, but now that six years have passed since the last movie, the curtain has fallen on the Bellas needing to perform again.
