Anna Kendrick admits she and the Pitch Perfect director stole a bunch of mugs so they could have the perfect 'When I'm Gone' scene
When you think of Anna Kendrick and Pitch Perfect, the song “Cups” automatically comes to mind. The song was a viral hit before it was even a thing and became a Top 10 Billboard hit in the process. Of course, the key to the song's success was that Mitchell Grant showcased her copa acapella routine. While the iconic scene seemed easy to pull off, there was a lot going on in finding the right mug for the moment. Kendrick admitted that she and Pitch Perfect's director stole a bunch of cups so they could do "When I'm Gone" properly.
The Pitch Perfect student took a look at what happened in the "When I'm Gone" scene to make it perfect. Fitting the right cup came down to Kendrick and director Jason Moore being regular sticky fingers. The Oscar-nominated actress told why it was necessary to find the perfect cup to achieve the final scene:
Director Jason Moore and I, everywhere we filmed, if we saw a mug, we'd just steal it. We had this weird collection to try once we got to this stage. We don't know what the surface of the stage will actually sound like.
While the mug was key, a question arose during pre-production: how do you justify having a mug there for Beca to use? Kendrick talked about how the audition cup came into play for the pivotal scene.
Then we had to justify that the cup was there. So yeah, someone broke in with the pens and pencils. I thought it was fun to just throw it in front of them. It's a lot like when a cat tests you and says, 'What if I drop this? What would you do?'
Following the success of the Twilight franchise, Anna Kendrick walked into the Pitch Perfect audition for her unsure of the film's musical elements. However, things came together when she did the signature routine from the first movie. The TV and movie actress admitted to knowing the song and routine before auditioning for the comedy acapella.
Anna Kendrick Admits She and Pitch Perfect's Director Stole A Lot Of Cups To Get The -When I'm Gone- Scene Just Right She was her idea to perform the act instead of the original audition piece "I'm a Little Teapot." The last-minute audition switch worked in Kendrick's favor, as she got the part for her. Not only that, but it also impressed Moore and the producers enough to include the entire routine in the film.
Although the "When I'm Gone" scene became a cultural sensation despite the annoyance of some fans, Kendrick didn't think the signing scene would become the instant classic that it is now. Even after recording “Cups”, she still wasn't sure of her success. Kendrick admitted in both cases that she had "balls on" her face after she took off the song.
The drinking scene helped make the first Pitch Perfect film a cultural phenomenon and a box office success. That success translated into two sequels and a streaming spinoff series with Adam Devine's Bumper. A decade after the original film was released, the Pitch Perfect cast has continued to flourish and have stuck together ever since.
If you'd like to revisit the time Mitchell Grant secured her spot on the Barden Bellas, check out Pitch Perfect through an active Hulu subscription. Once you're done, check out Pitch Perfect 2, which is also available on Hulu, and Pitch Perfect 3 can be rented/purchased through an Amazon Prime Video subscription.
