News of a sequel to 2012’s aca-excellent hit film Pitch Perfect followed quickly upon the movie’s success. Now we know who will be directing it: Elizabeth Banks.

After producing the first film and playing the less offensive half of Pitch Perfect‘s delightful announcing team, Banks has signed on to direct the movie’s 2015 sequel. This will be Banks’ first time in the director’s chair for a feature. She has directed a number of comedy shorts in the past.

Possibly of even more importance for the unexpected franchise than Banks’ new title is the affirmation that stars Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson are “likely to return” for the sequel. Additionally, Kay Cannon is back to pen the script.

As first reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Pitch Perfect was a financial windfall for Universal and Gold Circle. It outpaced its $17 million tenfold, grossing $115 million worldwide. It has now more than doubled that in physical and digital home entertainment sales with an additional $135 million. It even crushed the music charts, with star Anna Kendrick’s “Cups” going triple platinum, as the soundtrack as a whole managed to go platinum. A sequel here was never in question once the box office totals started rolling in, basically.

Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley said, as quoted in the Hollywood Reporter article, “She brings an enormous amount of energy and experience to everything she works on and we’re thrilled that she is making her feature directorial debut on Pitch Perfect 2.”

Banks clearly had a ball in the first film and is heavily invested in the project. She’s also having a nice little stretch in her career, with two Hunger Games films both in the rearview mirror and on the horizon. She’s also a voice in the surprisingly delightful-looking The Lego Movie. Here’s hoping she, Cannon, and their stars can replicate the fun and wit of Pitch Perfect in its second outing. Aca-believe it, everyone.

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Tyler Hanan

Tyler raves about movies on the Let The Right Films In podcast. Listen to him make jokes over his beleaguered cohost Kayla St. Onge and their more qualified guests who deserve so much better at soundcloud.com/ltrfipod. Find him on Twitter @tylerhanan.

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