Disney’s High School Musical took the youthful audiences by storm. A simple musical starring virtually unknown stars suddenly became the most popular offering on the Disney channel and a franchise unto itself. With the release of the second installment, Zac Efron and crew again gave young audiences what they wanted in the way of song, dance and almost complex plots. And now, the saga continues with a third and possibly final installment. High School Musical Three is officially kicked off with all members of the original cast on board.
Blockbuster Movie in the Making
Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman and Lucas Grabeel all start with other supporting Wildcat stars in the this third installment of the series. It is expected that the movie will again break records on the Disney channel with high numbers of viewers and of course some new franchised merchandise.
Many moviegoers have never heard of the Wildcats, East High or the cast of characters that have young girls dreaming and audiences of all ages humming along. But Disney has always been able to entertain and they certainly didn’t miss the mark this time (or the two times before.)
High School Musical
In the first High School Musical, star crossed lovers are tortured together in a forced karaoke sing-a-long only to find themselves attending high school together. Vanessa Hudgens, or Gabriella, is the brainy new girl who steals the heart of the every popular and athletic Troy, played by Zac Efron. Troy must overcome athletic stereotypes to star in the musical with Gabriella, and the pair must also overcome the plotting of the traditional brother and sister duo who try to stand in their way. Being a Disney film, everything turns out beautifully at the end.
In the second installment, the summer following the successful year of the musical starts off slow for the group of friends, but gets exciting as they all land jobs at a posh golf resort and spa. Troy is courted by the big wigs which puts a strain on his relationship with Gabriella. Soon the talent show that ends the summer is the central focus of the cast as they try to decide where loyalties lie.
The Senior Year at East High
High School Musical Three is said to follow the same group of friends through their senior year at East High. This time, the controversy and drama will come as the entire cast begins to plan their college years apart from each other. To soften the blow of graduation and a long distance relationship, the crew pulls together an elaborate spring musical to showcase their deep feelings and desires about the future.
While this may not be fodder for action movie buffs, it is just the sort of thing preteen girls flock to. The Disney channel knows what they are doing as they milk the High School Musical series for all its worth – and it’s worth quite a bit.