<P> Pitch Perfect is a 2012 American musical comedy film written by Kay Cannon and directed by Jason Moore . It features an ensemble cast, including Anna Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Ester Dean, Alexis Knapp, Hana Mae Lee, Adam DeVine, Ben Platt, John Michael Higgins, and Elizabeth Banks . The plot follows Barden University's all - girl a cappella group, The Barden Bellas, as they compete against another a cappella group from their college to win Nationals . The film is loosely adapted from Mickey Rapkin's non-fiction book, titled Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate a Cappella Glory . Filming concluded in December 2011, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana . </P> <P> The film premiered in Los Angeles on September 24, 2012 . Released on September 28, 2012 in the United States, the film received positive reviews from critics . It became a sleeper hit and earned over $115 million worldwide, becoming the second - highest - grossing music comedy film of all time behind School of Rock . It is the first film in the film series and was followed by two sequels, Pitch Perfect 2 (2015), directed by Elizabeth Banks, and Pitch Perfect 3 (2017). Screenplays for all three are by Kay Cannon . </P> <P> At a 2011 national a cappella competition, Barden University's all - female a cappella group, the Barden Bellas, perform well until Aubrey Posen (Anna Camp) projectile vomits on the audience during her solo . They are publicly humiliated, losing the competition . Four months later, newly arrived Barden freshman Beca Mitchell (Anna Kendrick) has no desire to attend college, but she is forced to do so by her father (John Benjamin Hickey), a professor at the university, with whom Beca has a strained relationship . Wishing she could instead pursue a career as a music producer in Los Angeles, Beca spends her time making mash - up mixes of songs and takes up an internship at the school radio station, where she gets to know fellow freshman Jesse Swanson (Skylar Astin). </P> <P> When Beca's father discovers she has not been attending classes, he comes to her with a proposition: if she joins a club and still does not want to remain at college after one year, he will allow her to leave college, and he will pay for Beca to move to Los Angeles to pursue her music career . After some persuasion from Chloe Beale (Brittany Snow) the co-leader of the Bellas along with Aubrey, she reluctantly joins the Barden Bellas . Aubrey does not initially approve of recruiting Beca, but yields nonetheless due to a desperate need for members and Beca's talent . Beca joins alongside a group of other women who do not fit the Bellas' typical mold: Cynthia - Rose (Ester Dean), Stacie Conrad (Alexis Knapp), Lilly Onakuramara (Hana Mae Lee), and Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson). Jesse is also revealed to have joined the Bellas' all - male rival group, the Treblemakers, but his roommate Benji (Ben Platt) was rejected after being called "weird" by Bumper (Adam DeVine). </P>

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