Filming has officially wrapped on the upcoming High School Musical TV series, with a premiere date on the Disney Plus streaming service confirmed. The humble origins of the High School Musical franchise can be traced back to the 2006 movie released exclusively on the Disney Channel. Directed by Kenny Ortega and launching the careers of Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, High School Musical surpassed all expectations for a direct-to-TV production with its catchy songs, upbeat message and intricately choreographed dance sequences. Two successful sequels soon followed, with High School Musical 3 even enjoying a widespread theatrical release.
Due to the ongoing popularity of the East High gang, a potential High School Musical 4 has been a frequent topic of discussion over the years, especially since a new generation of potential stars were introduced in the third movie. With Efron and the other cast members graduating, however, High School Musical 4 remained merely a dream for the legions of Wildcats across the world. Fortunately, Disney announced earlier this year that a High School Musical TV series was in the works. The 10-episode debut season introduces a new cast of characters and reportedly revisits the familiar formula of an eclectic group of high school kids putting together a spring musicale, but in a documentary-style format. Joshua Bassett was the first cast member announced in October last year.
Now officially given the catchy title of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, a post on the official High School Musical Facebook page confirmed that production had wrapped on the project, with a premiere date set for November 12th on the launch of the Disney Plus network.
With Disney now having an entire streaming service of their own to fill with content, High School Musical is unlikely to be the only popular franchise revived in the coming years, as a strong catalog of established franchises is Disney Plus’ best advantage over the streaming dominance of Netflix.
While High School Musical certainly has a sizable fan following, however, it remains to be seen whether the franchise has a future without its familiar cast. This was likely the key factor in High School Musical 4 being put on ice and that issue will still be present in the new TV series, even if a streaming series does represent far less financial risk than a feature-length movie release. Tellingly, online reaction to High School Musical: The Musical: The Series has been mixed, with many professing that the experience just won’t be the same without Troy Bolton and his pals.
The chances of Zac Efron or Vanessa Hudgens making an appearance in the new High School Musical series may be slim, but that doesn’t necessarily rule out returns for other members of the old cast whose careers haven’t quite taken off in the same way. If some of the original Wildcats were to appear, this would certainly put plenty of eyes on the High School Musical series and legitimize the show as a worthy follow-up.
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High School Musical: The Musical: The Series premieres November 12th on Disney Plus.
Source: Disney
