Anna Kendrick book: Her career and the rise of 'Pitch Perfect'

Anna Kendrick has released a memoir, “Scrappy Little Nobody,” following the success of the “Pitch Perfect” movies in which she appears. 

Ms. Kendrick’s memoir, which was released on Nov. 15, “offer[s] her one-of-a-kind commentary on the absurdities she’s experienced on her way to and from the heart of pop culture,” according to the publisher. 

USA Today writes that describes the book as "equal parts lighthearted and introspective, Scrappy Little Nobody chronicles Kendrick's rise to fame without the mechanicalness of a how-to, her struggle to navigate the public's perception of her without the sanitization of media training, and her journey of coming into her own without the trite clichés. 

Kendrick has also appeared in such film musicals as “Into the Woods” and “The Last Five Years” as well as this year’s “The Hollars” and “The Accountant.” She received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her work in the 2009 movie “Up in the Air.” 

Her 2012 movie “Pitch Perfect,” in which she stars as a college student who joins an a cappella group, became a big and fairly unexpected hit. A 2015 sequel performed even better financially and a third installment is planned.

How did the movie series in which Kendrick appears draw such a large following?

Variety reporter Brent Lang writes that recommendations from others helped the first movie do well and increased interest for the series in between the releases of the first and second films. 

“It’s a success story that … relied on strong word-of-mouth that gained momentum on cable television, on-demand platforms, and through chart-topping soundtrack sales,” Mr. Lang wrote following the successful opening weekend for “Pitch Perfect 2.” 

The audience for the first “Pitch” movie was strong in the theater but continued to grow once it became available on TV or streaming, causing even more fans to jump on board and then turn out for the sequel in 2015.

Having a soundtrack that appealed to many also likely aided in the success of the movies. Actress Elizabeth Banks, who starred in both “Pitch” films and directed the sequel, told the Los Angeles Times, “The music really eventized the movie in a way that comedy is leaning toward right now. A director like Paul Feig can eventize a movie by having a big comedic star like Melissa McCarthy in it, or you can have a big, exciting hook. It just turned out that the musical numbers were ours.” 

The third film is set to be released in 2017.