High School Musical is an American media franchise created by Peter Barsocchini and directed by Kenny Ortega, centered on a group of students at the fictional East High School who navigate teenage life, romance, and friendship by challenging rigid social cliques through a shared love of music and performing arts.
The franchise includes two television films, a theatrical film, a spin-off direct-to-video/television film, stage musicals, books, comics, live shows, video games, and a television series. Ashley Tisdale and Lucas Grabeel are the only actors to have appeared in all four films.
The first film was released as a Disney Channel Original Movie, and after its huge success, it was followed by a television sequel. The third film received a theatrical release by Walt Disney Pictures. Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, and Monique Coleman starred in the trilogy. Tisdale and Grabeel reprised their roles as Sharpay and Ryan Evans in a spin-off on the series titled Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure, ultimately released as both a direct-to-video film and a Disney Channel Original Movie. The franchise has developed a cult following.
In November 2017, a television spin-off of the franchise was announced to be in development. In November 2019, a television series featuring a completely new cast, titled High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, was released on Disney+.
Films Film U.S. release date Director Screenwriter(s) Producer(s) Domestic releases High School Musical Kenny Ortega Peter Barsocchini Don Schain High School Musical 2 High School Musical 3: Senior Year Bill Borden and Barry Rosenbush Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure Michael Lembeck Robert HornJonathan Hackett International releases High School Musical: El Desafío (Argentina) Jorge Nisco Pablo Lago and Susana Cardozo Juan Pablo Galli, Juan Vera and Alejandro Cacetta High School Musical: El Desafío (Mexico) Eduardo Ripari High School Musical: O Desafio (Brazil) César Rodrigues Iafa Britz, Marcos Didonet, Vilma Lustosa and Walkiria Barbosa High School Musical China: College Dreams Chen Shi-Zheng Li LinChen Shi-Zheng
High School Musical (2006)
Filmed in Utah, High School Musical was released on January 20, 2006 as a Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM), and was the highest-rated DCOM to that point, watched by 7.7 million viewers for its premiere broadcast in the United States, and by 789,000 viewers for its UK premiere. It was the first DCOM ever to be aired by BBC, broadcast on December 29, 2006, and has been viewed by over 225 million people worldwide. The first film's leads were Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale and Lucas Grabeel, who sang most of the songs.
The film follows basketball star Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) and shy, smart Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens). After a chance meeting on winter break, Gabriella reconnects with Troy after transferring to East High School in Albuquerque. Drama queen Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale), seeking to eliminate her competition for the Winter Musical, convinces Taylor McKessie (Monique Coleman) to invite Gabriella to the Scholastic Decathlon team. Troy's best friend Chad Danforth (Corbin Bleu) is concerned that Troy is distracted from basketball.
After Sharpay and her twin brother Ryan (Lucas Grabeel) perform a flashy audition for the musical, Troy and Gabriella manage to give their own performance and receive a callback. When the school finds out Troy and Gabriella have auditioned, everyone fears the status quo of the school is drastically changing, frustrating Sharpay, Chad and Taylor, afraid their respective teams will fail, try to intervene, leading Gabriella to believe Troy does not care about her. While Sharpay is satisfied, Chad and Taylor's teams feel guilty and attempt to fix what they have done.
Sharpay and Ryan convince theater teacher Ms. Darbus to change callbacks to the same date as the basketball championship and the Decathlon. Chad and Taylor stage a school-wide computer glitch that forces the school to stop the game and the Decathlon, and lead all the students into the auditorium. Troy and Gabriella arrive in the nick of time and are awarded the lead roles, while Sharpay and Ryan are understudies. The film ends as the entire school gathers in the gym to celebrate East High's basketball victory.
High School Musical 2 (2007)
The first sequel to High School Musical was released on August 17, 2007 as a Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM), breaking the previous film's record as the most successful DCOM ever produced, with 17 million viewers for its premiere broadcast in the United States. The cast of the original film returned for the sequel.
At the end of the school year, Gabriella is happy to finally spend summer vacation without having to move. The whole gang is hired at Lava Springs Country Club, where Sharpay tries to convince manager Mr. Fulton (Mark L. Taylor) to intimidate the Wildcats into quitting.
As the club prepares for the end-of-summer talent show, Sharpay schemes to win Troy over with various luxuries, including a chance for a college scholarship, worrying Gabriella. Ryan, abandoned by Sharpay, spends more time with the Wildcats and secretly prepares a special dance number for them to perform at the talent show. Sharpay discovers this and orders Mr. Fulton to disallow all Junior Staff to partake in the talent show.
Ignored by his friends, Troy has a devastating rehearsal with Sharpay and loses Gabriella, who quits her job at Lava Springs. Realizing Sharpay's scheme from Mr. Fulton's memo, Troy confronts Sharpay and refuses to sing with her. Chad and the Wildcats convince Troy to go back to Sharpay and the show. Ryan surprises Troy and Sharpay with a change in song – as the final act, Troy sings solo, when Gabriella unexpectedly joins him, along with the rest of the Wildcats. Sharpay learns her lesson in humility and is invited to join in; instead of awarding the Star Dazzle Trophy to herself as usual, she gives it to Ryan. Troy and Gabriella share their first kiss, and everyone celebrates the end of the summer with a staff pool party.
High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008)
The third installment in the High School Musical franchise premiered in London on October 17, 2008 and was theatrically released in the United States on October 24, 2008. Receiving generally positive reviews, it set a record for largest opening weekend for a musical film and became the highest-grossing film in the franchise.
Nearing the end of senior year, Troy rallies the Wildcats to basketball championship victory, and he and Gabriella reflect on their time at East High and their uncertain future. With most of the Wildcats recruited to the Spring Musical, which will present the students' final days at East High. Ms. Darbus also announces that she will select one student for a Juilliard scholarship, with Sharpay, Ryan, Kelsi, and Troy under consideration. Desperate to win, Sharpay tries to persuade Ryan to help her convince Kelsi to consider them as the leads.
With prom around the corner, Taylor eventually agrees to be Chad's date, and Ryan asks Kelsi. Gabriella has an opportunity to attend Stanford early, and Sharpay manipulates Troy to encourage Gabriella to go. Conflicted about his own college choices and Gabriella's absence, Troy drives to meet Gabriella for their own prom night. The Wildcats prepare for the musical, where Troy and Gabriella make a surprise appearance, and Ms. Darbus announces that both Kelsi and Ryan have received a scholarship to Juilliard. The Wildcats reveal their college choices, with Troy deciding to stay not far from Gabriella, and the film concludes with a big celebratory graduation.
Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure (2011)
Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure is a spin-off film starring Ashley Tisdale, and was released as a Blu-ray/DVD combination pack on April 19, 2011, and then broadcast as a Disney Channel Original Movie on May 22, 2011.
Set a year after the events of Senior Year, the film looks at Sharpay's life after graduation as she attempts to land a role in a Broadway show. After performing at a local fundraiser event in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a talent scout offers Sharpay a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in New York City. Unsure if she is ready to take on the big city by herself, Sharpay's father tells her that she has one month to land a role in the show, or she will have to return home and work at the Lava Springs Country Club. Upon arriving in New York City, Sharpay soon realizes that the theatre world is a lot more cut-throat than a high school musical. With the help of her new friend Peyton Leverett (Austin Butler), Sharpay sets out to realize her star-studded dreams.
Future In early 2016, Disney announced that a fourth installment of the series was "in the works", later announcing a casting call for the film, tentatively referred to as High School Musical 4. In March 2016, details about the film's prospective principal characters were reported. A fictionalized High School Musical 4: The Reunion, featuring some members of the original High School Musical cast, was featured in the fourth season of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
Recurring cast and characters
Characters Films High School Musical High School Musical 2 High School Musical 3: Senior Year Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure 2006 2007 2008 2011 Troy Bolton Zac Efron Gabriella Montez Vanessa Hudgens Sharpay Evans Ashley Tisdale Ryan Evans Lucas Grabeel Chad Danforth Corbin Bleu Taylor McKessie Monique Coleman Ms. Darbus Alyson Reed Martha Cox Kaycee Stroh Coach Bolton Bart Johnson Zeke Baylor Chris Warren Jr. Kelsi Nielsen Olesya Rulin Jason Cross Ryne Sanborn Mrs. Bolton Leslie Wing Pomeroy Principal Dave Matsui Joey Miyashima Joey Miyashima Mrs. Montez Socorro Herrera Socorro Herrera Lea Kelli Baker colspan="2" Mr. Vance Evans Robert Curtis Brown Mrs. Darby Evans Jessica Tuck Boi Manly "Little Pickles" Ortega Mr. Fulton Mark L. Taylor colspan="2" Miley Stewart Miley Cyrus colspan="2" Jackie Tanya Chisholm colspan="2" Emma McCall Clark colspan="2" Mr. Danforth colspan="2" David Reivers Mrs. Danforth colspan="2" Yolanda Wood Tiara Gold colspan="2" Jemma McKenzie-Brown Donnie Dion colspan="2" Justin Martin Jimmie Zara colspan="2" Matt Prokop Peyton Leverett colspan="3" Austin Butler Amber Lee Adams colspan="3" Cameron Goodman Roger Ellison colspan="3" Bradley Steven PerryShawn Molko Gill Samms colspan="3" Alec Mapa Neal Roberts colspan="3" Jack Plotnick Tiffany Destiny colspan="3" Lauren Collins
International releases
High School Musical: El Desafío (2008) and High School Musical: O Desafio (2010)
High School Musical: The Challenge refers to the English name of a series of spin-off movies of the American film High School Musical for the Latin-American market. Based on the book Battle of the Bands, the films were produced for theatrical release, and had eight new songs produced for the film. With a script written by Pablo Lago and Susana Cardozo, the movie was filmed three times with a different cast. The first release was for Argentina in February 2008, with the title High School Musical: El Desafío. The second film release was for Mexico in August 2008, with the same title. The third film was released for Brazil, with the title High School Musical: O Desafio in 2010.
The plot includes: The high school team captain discovers that the girl next door has changed a lot over the summer. Meanwhile, the mean girl is still as vain as ever and overshadows her poor brother and his "invisible" friends. When the school year begins, the school announces a "Battle of the Bands" contest. Working against the clock and with limited resources, both cliques pull their respective forces together for the big day. However, in an effort to win, dreams are thwarted, and only one band will be the winner.
High School Musical: China – College Dreams (2011)