A “Pitch Perfect” series has been ordered at Peacock with Adam Devine onboard to reprise his role from the film franchise, Variety has learned exclusively.
The series is set several years after the events of the films. Devine returns as Bumper Allen, who moves to Germany to revive his music career when one of his songs becomes big in Berlin.
Bumper was the main antagonist of the first film and the leader of the all-male a cappella group The Treblemakers. He returned in the second film as a supporting character and the love interest of Rebel Wilson’s character, Fat Amy. He worked as a backup singer for John Mayer before returning to his alma mater, Barden University, as a security guard.
“Pitch Perfect” will be written by Megan Amram, who will also serve as executive producer and showrunner. Elizabeth Banks and Max Handelman of Brownstone Productions will also executive produce along with Paul Brooks and Scott Neimeyer of Gold Circle Films. Devine will executive produce in addition to starring. Universal Television will produce. Brownstone and Gold Circle produced all three films in the “Pitch Perfect” franchise, with Banks having directed “Pitch Perfect 2″ and appearing onscreen in all three films.
“Our upcoming ‘Pitch Perfect’ series is another example of the unmatched synergy NBCUniversal is able to expand upon with our wide-ranging library of IP,” said Susan Rovner, chairman of entertainment content for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “When we saw the opportunity to create a series for ‘Pitch Perfect’ with Elizabeth Banks, Max Handelman and Paul Brooks plus more earworm classics for super fans to enjoy, we jumped at it. And to top it off, we are so fortunate that Adam Devine is headlining the series and bringing fans the quirky, laugh-out-loud sensibility they loved in the film franchise.”
Aside from his work in the “Pitch Perfect” films, Devine has starred in features such as “Game Over, Man!,” “Isn’t It Romantic,” “Jexi,” “Magic Camp,” and “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates.” On television, he is best known for starring in the hit Comedy Central series “Workaholics,” which ran for seven seasons. He has also starred on shows like “Modern Family” and “The Righteous Gemstones,” with the latter show currently prepping its second season at HBO.
He is repped by WME, Avalon Management, Kovert Creative, and Morris Yorn.
“We’re so happy to have the opportunity to bring the beloved Universal Pictures franchise ‘Pitch Perfect’ to the small screen and to explore the hilarious and distinct characters in this (musical-filled) world,” said Erin Underhill, president of Universal Television. “We’re lucky to partner with the talented Elizabeth Banks, Max Handelman and Paul Brooks, who produced the iconic films; the exceptionally funny and memorable Adam Devine; and Megan Amram, whose clever adaptation of ‘Pitch Perfect’ is sure to have audiences laughing out loud and tapping their feet.”
Inspired by the Mickey Rapkin book of the same name, the first “Pitch Perfect” film was released in 2012, with the third and final film having been released in 2017. The three films grossed nearly $600 million combined worldwide. Along with Devine and Wilson, the franchise was known for starring Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, and Hailee Steinfeld.
Amram is currently under an overall deal with Universal Television. Her past writing credits include “The Good Place,” “Parks and Recreation,” “The Simpsons,” and “Silicon Valley.” She has been nominated for five Emmy Awards during her career — two for “The Good Place” and three for her shortform series “An Emmy for Megan.” She received backlash in 2020 after some past offensive tweets resurfaced, for which she later apologized.
Amram is repped by Management 360 and Hansen Jacobson. Banks and Brownstone Productions are repped by UTA, Untitled Entertainment, Relevant, and PJ Shapiro.
News of the “Pitch Perfect” series adaptation comes as streaming services aligned with legacy media companies are relying more and more on their existing IP to drive new scripted programming. Peacock currently airs updated versions of “Saved by the Bell” and is also currently working on a reboot of “Battlestar Galactica,” a drama twist on “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” and series versions of “Field of Dreams,” “MacGruber” and “Ted,” among others.