‘High School Musical 4’ Greenlighted By Disney Channel

Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens in the original High School Musical film. Not in your nightmares, but on TV.

“High School Musical is part of Disney Channel’s DNA”, Disney Channel President Gary Marsh said in a statement on March 1. It embodies all that we stand for.

By start of something new he means the (re)start of a series that should have never survived after its first installment, right?

The fourth film in the franchise will not only see Disney return to East High, but will also take a closer look at the Wildcats chief rivals, the West High Knights.

Casting will begin soon, and it’s not yet clear if any of the original cast will make appearances. Disney Channel also reveals that the forthcoming installment will “continue the story” of the franchise’s last theatrical release, “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”.

Wait no longer: High School Musical 4 is happening. Who could resist reminiscing over Troy and Gabriella meeting at the ski lodge, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens’ audition tape, and basically everything else in between? It broke new ground as the first-ever TV movie soundtrack to reach #1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and went on to become the #1 album of 2006 as well as the #1 soundtrack and #1 Kids’ album of that year.

No timetable for the the broadcast debut of the new film was announced. It grossed over $250 million in worldwide box office. Deadline reported, “The movie will again be set at East High and follow the school’s famous Wildcats” but no further details were given.