High School Musical stars Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and Monique Coleman honored director Kenny Ortega at the 2010 Inaugural St. Jude Children’s Hospital’s “Estrellas Por La Vida” Gala in Los Angeles on Tuesday night (April 7). Kenny was awarded for his continuous work with children over the years. Congrats!
Last night (October 27), at the Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles, Michael Jackson's documentary film This Is It premiered. High School Musical stars Ashley Tisdale and Monique Coleman were both in attendance and met up with their friend and director Kenny Ortega, who was working with Michael on a concert series at the time of his death last June.
This only leaves one question... When will we get a High School Musical reunion for real!?
"Michael was a dear friend and a consummate professional. This was the most exciting collaboration of my life with a man who has inspired me like no other.
He will be deeply missed. I am terribly sad. We had a 25 year friendship. This is all too much to comprehend.
This was the world’s greatest performer and the world will miss him. My heart goes out to his family and fans"
- Kenny Ortega on the sad death of Michael Jackson
"so many tears for MJ."
- Monique Coleman on the unexpected death of the King of Pop
So far, not ONE High School Musical star is returning for the fourth film - not even the three sophomores, Jemma McKenzie Brown, Matt Prokop, and Justin Martin, introduced in the third film.
Now, in addition to all that, Kenny Ortega will not direct the fourth film, now titled High School Musical 4: East Meets West (yeah, we know, stupid title). Instead, Jeffrey Hornaday, who is known best for choreographing Flashdance, A Chrous Line, and the world concert tours of Madonna and the Backstreet Boys, will take over the directing duties.
This movie is going to be so bad! At least it's being written by the same guy who wrote the first three. That's one good sign!
Apparently Walt Disney Studios gives out awards... who knew? Click here to check out the full list of nominations, but this is what High School Musical 3: Senior Year is up for:
Best Picture
Best Director (Kenny Ortega)
Best Original Screenplay (Peter Barsocchini)
Best Actor (Zac Efron)
Best Actress (Vanessa Hudgens)
Best Supporting Actor (Corbin Bleu and Lucas Grabeel)
Best Supporting Actress (Ashley Tisdale and Monique Coleman)
Australia was privileged enough to have two premieres for High School Musical 3: Senior Year held. Last night's was held in Melbourne. Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, and Kenny Ortega were there.
(The picture above makes us laugh! Zac looks scared to see Kenny coming at them with open arms, Vanessa looks... like an idiot, and Ashley's arm looks robotic!)
Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, and Kenny Ortega hit the red carpet last night for the Australian premiere of High School Musical 3: Senior Year in Sydney. They were also photographed while touring the city!
Zac Efron has been in talks to appear in the remake of Footloose forever. Well, after the massive success of High School Musical 3: Senior Year, it seems that Zac is set to star and Kenny Ortega is set to direct.
Paramount Pictures is looking to start production this spirng. Zac will walk away with a seven-figure salary and he will have script approval. If that's not proof that he's the most wanted star in Hollywood, I don't know what is!
Michael Jackson, now famous for allegedly molesting several young boys, gave Zac Efron a call! Creepy!
Jackson, who is friends with Kenny Ortega, called Zac through Kenny and congratulated him on both his individual success and the success of High School Musical.
"I've been wanting to talk to Michael Jackson my whole life, but as soon as Kenny handed me the phone, I was at a loss for words," Zac says. "I have never been so speechless."
Yet another premiere of High School Musical 3: Senior Year was held this weekend, this time in Rome. While Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens were too busy to attend, Ashley Tisdale and Corbin Bleu sparkled on the red carpet. Kenny Ortega, the genius behind all three films, was there too!
Sara Lee chatted with the stars at the premiere of High School Musical 3: Senior Year! Catch Ashley Tisdale, Justin Martin, Corbin Bleu, Kaycee Stroh, Kenny Ortega, Jemma McKenzie Brown, and more!
The United States was finally able to herald in the arrival of High School Musical 3: Senior Year last night, Thursday, in Los Angeles!
EVERYONE was there!: Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale (who was sporting darker locks!), Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Jemma McKenzie Brown, Milly and Becky Rosso (the British twins from "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody"), Lori Loughlin ("Full House", "90210"), Kaycee Stroh, Paula Abdul, Chris Warren, Jr., Anna Maria Perez de Tagle ("Hannah Montana" and Camp Rock), Selena Gomez, Jennifer Stone ("Wizards of Waverly Place"), Madison Pettis ("Cory in the House"), Chelsea Staub (Minutemen and, soon, "J.O.N.A.S!"), Meaghan Jette Martin (Camp Rock), Alyson Stoner, Brenda Song, David Henrie, Olesya Rulin, Kenny Ortega and dog and High School Musical star Manly, and Cody Linely and "Dancing With the Stars" partner Julianne Hough! Plus SO many more, but we felt those were the most important!
Noticeably absent, however, was Lucas Grabeel, who we now deem antisocial.
Here are videos and pictures from the premiere! There may be more on the way!
At a press conference for High School Musical 3: Senior Year, the press grilled the cast about the future of the franchise as well as with their careers.
Zac Efron, who has been tied to the remake of Footloose for sometime now, says "is coming together, actually. We're trying to figure out the right way to do it, but yeah. It seems like it's going to happen." The remake will be directed by Kenny Ortega.
And High School Musical 4 was confirmed!
Bill Borden, producer of all the High School Musical movies, offered some words on what High School Musical 4 will be about... or more so what it won't be about! "I don't think it will be College Musical."
That's good to know!
It's better if the series sticks with East High, even if that means having the current main cast away at college. However, for those of you who don't know (slight SPOILER alert), Ashley Tisdale's character Sharpay might not be moving on from East High. She stays with the high school drama department instead.
"I don't know anything about that," Ashley said, regarding the issue. "It is flattering to have an open door for my character. But I am doing other projects as well and moving on."
By other projects we hope she means finishing her second album and releasing it SOON!
Director Kenny Ortega made small talk with some reporters during the European promotion four for High School Musical 3: Senior Year. And he spilled some details on High School Musical 4?
He revealed that the movie will most likely focus on Jemma McKenzie Brown's character Tiara Gold.
You would never guess that Zac Efron couldn't dance or play basketball when he was cast as Troy Bolton, a dancing basketball player, in 2005.
"I'm definitely not a dancer," he admits. "I grew up being into sports and I wasn't trained to move my body in the right way for dancing. I'm the last one to get any move correct."
As for basketball, Zac says, "I played for a few years when I was at school. I remember a championship game when I was in the sixth grade. I gave away the ball at the last second and the other team scored. I lost the game for my team. It was pretty bad. It's much more fun now because it's usually in the script that we win."
Aww! Well we still love you, Zac!
Oh! And Zac and Vanessa Hudgens were almost not a couple!
Kenny Ortega says, "We tried to separate them and try them with other partners but it didn't work. The magic was already there between them."
Precious! He goes on to explain how Troyella evolved into Zanessa. "Life imitates art. When Zac and Vanessa first auditioned for me they didn't know each other."
Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and director/choreographer Kenny Ortega talked to The Daily Telegraph while in London for the High School Musical 3: Senior Year premiere event!
Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and Ashley Tisdale sizzled on the red carpet premiere of High School Musical 3: Senior Year in Madrid, Spain! Corbin Bleu and Kenny Ortega also joined them. The cast will make their next stop in London, where they will be joined by Jemma McKenzie Brown.
The cast of High School Musical 3: Senior Year share their thoughts on Kenny Ortega, the wonderful director and choreographer of all three films, plus the concert tour, as well as The Cheetah Girls 2 and Miley Cyrus' concert tour!
