'High School Musical' Director Kenny Ortega Willing to Return for Fourth Movie
Speculations as to who will return on "High School Musical" (HSM) have been rife since the announcement that Disney will do a fourth installment. While none of the original cast members expressed any plans to join "HSM 4," director Kenny Ortega said he is willing to be a part of the new movie.
Ortega revealed that he would love to work on "HSM 4" in any capacity in an interview with People's Choice. The director credits musical franchise for boosting his career so, naturally, he is open to helping out in the new installment.
"The last decade plus has been extraordinary and that I get to play with music and dance-driven storytelling, the Disney Channel has offered me a voice and an opportunity that is rare today," Ortega explained.
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The director was responsible for all three "HSM" movies for the studio.
Ortega, however, did not confirm when "HSM 4" begins production. In 2016, Disney launched open call auditions to find up-and-coming actors to star in the new film.
"HSM 4" will reportedly feature five new leads who have no ties to the original characters. Since the announcement, however, Disney hasn't released any updates about the status of the movie.
Meanwhile, Vanessa Hudgens, who became famous for the first three "HSM" movies for having played Gabriella Montez, confirmed via E! News that she will not be in the fourth movie. For one thing, Hudgens acknowledged that she's too old to play a high school kid. She's also unsure of doing a cameo as a teacher because it's not a role she wants.
"I refuse to be a teacher! I'm still a teenager at heart," Hudgens said. "So probably not with me, but I'm excited to see what they whip together."
"HSM" aired as a movie special on the Disney Channel from 2006 to 2008. Zac Efron (Troy Bolton) and Ashley Tisdale (Sharpay Evans) were also catapulted to fame thanks to these movies.
