Elizabeth Banks cites 'bad timing' as reason for Pitch Perfect 3 exit

Actress-turned-filmmaker Elizabeth Banks opted out of directing Pitch Perfect 3 due to scheduling conflicts.

The Hunger Games star made her directorial debut last year (15) with Pitch Perfect 2, and although she was set to reprise her role behind the scenes for the upcoming sequel, reports emerged earlier this week (end3Jun16) she backed away from the gig.

And while speaking at the PGA Produced By event on Saturday (4June16), mother-of-two Elizabeth explained she simply has too much on her plate to direct Pitch Perfect 3.

"It was all timing," she shared, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "We feel obligated to put out the best movie, and anyone who has done sequels, this third one is hard to figure out what the story is. We want to give the audience what it wants but not making it repetitive.”

“We have been in development and it took longer than we thought, and I needed to shoot another movie in the summer," she added. "If we pushed into fall it bumped up against my parental responsibilities, which made me feel uncomfortable."

Elizabeth shares sons Felix, five, and Magnus Mitchell, three, with her husband of 13 years, Max Handelman.

Although she is no longer directing Pitch Perfect 3, the 42-year-old will still be part of the film, as she is serving as the musical comedy's producer.

Elizabeth has a lot to handle within the next few months professionally speaking, as she is due to direct the big screen adaptation of Victoria Aveyard's young adult novel Red Queen and the planned reboot of Charlie's Angels.