It's official. These High Schoolers are matriculating to the megaplex.
Production on High School Musical 3: Senior Year, the first big-screen installment of the smash-hit Disney franchise, is expected to kick off this spring with the entire cast intact, Walt Disney Studios announced Monday.
So, apparently, the pending money matters have been settled and image issues addressed since the wait-and-see period following the record-breaking premiere of HSM2 in August, during which it was unclear whether Disney would rehire Vanessa Hudgens or shell out big bucks for Zac Efron, whose asking price went way up after he became Hollywood's next big thing.
In September, the Disney Channel refused to comment on Hudgens' future with the franchise after a few underage nude self-portraits the 19-year-old took for a boyfriend hit the Internet. Her surprisingly scandalous behavior set fan sites ablaze for awhile, but, as is frequently the case, the chatter died down and the actress was back in business a month later.
Efron inked a reported $3 million deal in November to return as Troy Bolton for the theatrical sequel, while Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale were also said to have received pay hikes, although they wouldn't dish on the exact dollar amount.
Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman and Lucas Grabeel will also be heading back to East High for their senior year, and director Kenny Ortega will once again helm the song-and-dance action.
"We're thrilled to have all of the talented cast members who helped to make High School Musical such an incredible phenomenon joining us for this big screen motion picture event," Oren Aviv, president of motion picture production for Disney, said in a statement.
The threequel will "take these popular characters in some intriguing and entertaining new directions," Aviv continued. "Clearly, the music, spirit and personalities in these films have touched audiences in a very special way, and this latest musical adventure delivers lots of great new entertainment on an even grander scale."
The films, seen by more than 250 million people around the world, have certainly touched people's wallets. The HSM soundtrack was the top-selling album of 2006, and Josh Groban's Noël was the only album keeping HSM2's tunes from the top spot last year.
The tween-friendly saga has also spawned a book series, a concert tour, videogames, an ice show and a well-received stage musical.
HSM3: Senior Year will find Troy and Gabriella stressing out over their impending separation once graduation sends everybody on their merry ways. Sure enough, East High's senior class will stage one last musical "reflecting their experiences, hopes and fears about the future," according to the studio's plot synopsis.