14 DAY TRIAL // When “High School Musical” was aired on Disney Channel in January 2006, it instantly became clear that the network had a major hit on its hands. In time, the franchise grew in popularity, becoming a worldwide phenomenon and warranting two other follow-ups. A fourth installment has just officially been announced by Disney, with an estimated release date set for 2010.
One of the things that the fourth film will bring new to the table (other than, hopefully, the now-famous cast) will be new actors and new twists in the story. Disney has also made public that “High School Musical 4” will first premiere on TV, as it has become customary, although voices in the media are saying this might have also been prompted by the fact that Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens’ participation is not yet a certain thing.
“The High School Musical trilogy introduced a new generation to the celebrated genre of movie musicals. In crafting this next iteration, we’ve challenged the entire creative team to raise the bar again – and create something truly worthy of this extraordinary global phenomenon.” Gary Marsh, president, Entertainment, Disney Channels Worldwide, said in a press statement announcing the decision to make a fourth film.
While writer Peter Barsocchini, who also wrote all three movies of the franchise, will also handle the script for this fourth installment, and Bill Borden and Barry Rosenbush will also return as executive producers, the participation of main stars Efron and Hudgens has not yet been confirmed. Naturally, the network hopes both will be on board sooner or later, even if their parts will be considerably smaller than in the other three films. With the production for “HSM 4” scheduled to start later this year, it certainly looks like the two young stars must quickly make a decision about it.
Just to get an idea of how popular “High School Musical” is, the second film in the franchise premiered on Disney Channel in August 2007 and was, at the time, the most watched program in the history of television. However, all three movies were also smashing hits at the box-office, it has been reported.