Elizabeth Banks Departs As Pitch Perfect 3 Director

Elizabeth Banks will no longer be directing Pitch Perfect 3. Banks produced and appeared in the first two films as Gail, the a cappella announcer/podcaster/sayer of ridiculous things, and will still return in both of those capacities for the third installment. However, she directed Pitch Perfect 2 and was signed for 3, but has now backed out in an “amicable” departure, Variety reports.

The news comes hot on the heels of Pitch Perfect 3 being pushed back from a July 21, 2017 release to a new date of December 22, 2017. The new date comes at a very crowded time in the theater landscape, and – this is just speculation – but the five month push, which will surely change the shooting schedule for the film, seems like a likely factor for her leaving the helm.

Pitch Perfect 2 saw a huge boost in worldwide gross from the first film, so it’s definitely a blow for Universal. Thankfully for fans of the franchise, Banks will still be there in some capacities, and stars Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, and Brittany Snow have all officially signed on, with Kay Cannon, who wrote the first two screenplays, also returning as writer for the third.

Elizabeth Banks will next be on big screens in Power Rangers on March 24, 2017, where she plays villain Rita Repulsa. She also launched a female-focused comedy website this year called “WhoHaHa” that features skits, stand-up, interviews and more with hilarious women.