HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - All six stars of Disney Channel's "High School Musical" have agreed to enroll in a third version of the hit franchise, Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Productions announced Monday.
Ready to star in the third and final installment, a feature film titled "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," are stars Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman.
The wheels were set in motion for a theatrical release after the second "High School Musical" TV movie attracted a record-breaking audience for the Disney Channel.
Director Kenny Ortega tells People magazine that he's excited about working one last time with the cast, a group of virtually unknown actors before the first "High School Musical."
"I am the luckiest guy in the world and I know it," Ortega says. "This will be our last time together and I love working with these kids so much. It's going to be great."
Many questioned whether Disney would be able to offer up big enough paydays to bring back its stars, whose careers have all soared as a result of the wildly-successful franchise.
Perhaps the biggest star to emerge, Efron is currently filming the comedy "Seventeen" with "Friends" alum Matthew Perry for New Line. The 20-year-old actor is also signed to star in a remake of "Footloose" for Paramount.
According to the studio, "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" finds high school seniors Troy [Efron] and Gabriella [Hudgens] facing the prospect of being separated from one another as they head off in different directions to college. Joined by the rest of the Wildcat crew, they stage an elaborate spring musical reflecting their experiences, hopes and fears about their future.
Last summer, 18.2 million viewers tuned in for "High School Musical 2," making it the largest audience for a basic-cable telecast. Its soundtrack was the No. 2 album of 2007 in the U.S. selling 6.5 million units. The Disney Channel says that the first "High School Musical" has been seen by 250 million viewers worldwide since it debuted in 2006.
Shooting is expecting to begin in the spring for the latest installment, with a theatrical release planned for Oct. 24.
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