After Pitch Perfect, a movie about two dueling a cappella college groups, became 2012’s biggest sleeper hit, a sequel was more or less a given. Next year, both the Barden Bellas and the Treblemakers will return—and the trailer for Pitch Perfect 2 suggests this might be their swan song. Elizabeth Banks is in the director’s chair this time around, and the film’s ensemble cast (Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, etc.) are back at Barden for their senior year—a milestone they emphasize with a more somber rendition of the first film’s hit song “Cups.”
After winning nationals at the end of Pitch Perfect, the Bellas are now off to the somewhat fictional World Championships of A Cappella. Banks, reprising her role as quirky commentator Gail Abernathy-McKadden, informs the girls that no Americans have ever won at the event because “the world hates us.” They, of course, accept the challenge—with a new Bella (Hailee Steinfeld) in tow. Pitch Perfect 2 opens May 15 of next year.
