John Michael Higgins confirms he’s in ‘Pitch Perfect 3’

What’s an a cappella competition without its commentators?

John Michael Higgins, who plays the dry and hilarious John Smith in the Pitch Perfect movies, confirmed to EW he will be back for Pitch Perfect 3.

“The end of this month, yes, I’ll be starting my part, at least, of Pitch Perfect 3,” he told EW at the Television Critics Association press tour Wednesday, where he discussed his new NBC sitcom Great News.

Higgins’ pundit is paired with Gail Abernathy-McKadden-Feinberger, played by Pitch Perfect 2 director Elizabeth Banks; she’ll return to the mic as Gail for Pitch Perfect 3. As for what can be expected of the announcing duo, Higgins didn’t divulge any teases — because he doesn’t have any to tease.

RELATED: Pitch Perfect 3: Everything we know so far

“I know very little; I sort of keep it that way, as sort of a technique,” he said. “I want to read or know as little as I can before I get there. It’s kind of an improv thing. In other words, I like to be surprised, because my reaction, my joke will be better. … I need to be very fresh on the set. Even with my lines, I won’t look at them until I’m in the makeup chair, and I’m just about to step on. I’ll never look at it the night before.”

Pitch Perfect 3 — which stars Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, and Anna Camp — is slated for a Dec. 22, 2017 release.

–Reporting by Natalie Abrams