Everyone warned Elizabeth Banks against filming the outdoor concert finale for “Pitch Perfect 2.” It was June in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was scorching hot, it was hurricane season, and they would have to build a full, functioning stage and recruit a small town of extras to make it believable.
But Banks knew what she wanted.
“I kept saying, `I don’t care, it’s going to look cool, we’ve got to do it’,” said the actress, producer, and now, feature director.
It took nearly a month to build the Glastonbury Festival-inspired stage. As for the extras, the production sent out an open invitation casting call to fans of “Pitch Perfect.”
Over 3,000 people showed up.
The massive undertaking required four all-night shoots, multiple cameras, elaborate performances and a tolerance for mysterious…