Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Lucas Grabeel, and Monique Coleman are back in school and ready to graduate in High School Musical 3: Senior Year which begins production this week. High School Musical 3 will be the first film of the popular Walt Disney Pictures franchise to be released theatrically rather than premiering on the Disney Channel.
Filming will take place in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, with the studio aiming for an October 24, 2008 release date. The director responsible for the first two High School Musical movies - Kenny Ortega - is helming the third film of the series. Ortega is also serving as an executive producer and is choreographing the movie with Charles 'Chucky' Klapow and Bonnie Story.
In addition to the principal cast, High School Musical veterans Olesya Rulin, Chris Warren Jr., Ryne Sanborn, KayCee Stroh, Bart Johnson, Alyson Reed and Leslie Wing are also returning for the third movie. New additions to the franchise include Matt Prokop, Justin Martin, and Jemma McKenzie-Brown.
The first High School Musical movie debuted on the Disney Channel in January 2006 and then went on to be the highest selling TV movie DVD of the year. High School Musical 2 cashed in on the original movie's success when it aired on August 17, 2007, setting a new record as the number one basic telecast of all time.
Source: Walt Disney Pictures
