2 months ago 11th Oct 08:15
The combination of more mature actors, a bigger budget and the high expectations of fans worldwide makes the film a spectacular blend of amazing dance sequences, catchy songs and emotional dialogue.
Zac, who plays basketball captain Troy Bolton in the film, said: "I'm very excited for 'High School Musical 3: Senior Year' to be on the big screen. This is what we've been waiting for, what we've been working towards, and it feels great because I feel like we earned it. We're just regular kids that made 'High School Musical' and now it's progressing.
The 20-year-old actor also revealed he is stunned that such a small made for television movie has turned into a worldwide phenomenon.
"The first time we realised what 'High School Musical' had become was on the first international press tour," he explained.
"We went all through Europe and were meeting so many fans, kids who were very excited to tell us how much 'High School Musical' had influenced their lives and how much they had connected with it. That was something none of us expected."
"Shooting 'High School Musical 3' has been the most fun I've had on any of the movies."
Vanessa, who plays clever student Gabriella Montez, said. "We're all close now and we got to be with each other every day, working, goofing off and just being kids."
The cast were required to pull out all the stops in the big musical numbers of the film, in order to make it more impressive that its two predecessors.
After the astounding success of the soundtracks for the first two films, Kenny knew he would have to step up the game in getting the best songs possible for the third movie.
The result? A collection of toe-tapping, hip-shaking tunes which are guaranteed to stay in your head for at least a week after seeing the film.
"The returning composers and lyricists and the new folks that have joined us on this venture have turned out a soundtrack that I think is the best of them all," Kenny said. "It serves the story. It serves the characters. It's dynamic, rhythmic, romantic, funny, orchestral, symphonic and choral. It gets as big as it can and as intimate as it can and everything in between."
The movie opens with 'Now or Never', which pays tribute to the song from the second film 'Get'cha Head in the Game' - revolving around the basketball team's quest for glory.
"'Now or Never' opens the movie in a really brilliant way," Kenny said. "We get to see how Troy, through song and dance, is actually facing a dilemma in his life. He's a great singer and he wants to perform on stage, but he's also an all-star athlete. We get to show sports, we get to show dancing, we get to show great singing, and we get to combine it in a storytelling way so that we understand the dilemma going on in this boy's personal life."
The shooting of the epic scene required a huge amount of work from the talented cast, including Zac.
"The experience was completely surreal," he laughed. "It felt like a real game because we were playing against a real team and we had real plays set up. A lot of the basketball you see was just us playing. Every time you missed a shot everyone would boo! When you'd make a shot, even if it was just a lay-up, everyone would go crazy."
The dancing also had to be better than ever, and Kenny ensured he did everything in his power to make it incredible.
"I have one foot in the street and another foot in the pages of history," he said. "There's a little bit of Broadway, funk, sport, ballet and ballroom - a real range of music and dance styles in this movie - and a dynamic range of dance locations including a basketball court, a rooftop, a treehouse. The dancing really is spread out beautifully throughout the story. Each dance is like its own postcard."
The movie also saw a new addition to the cast, in the form of British actress Jemma McKenzie-Brown, who plays Ashley's character Sharpay Evan's personal assistant Tiara Gold.
After auditioning hundreds of potential Tiaras in the US, the filmmakers decided to try their luck in Britain, and knew as soon as they saw Jemma that she was perfect for the role.
"When we met Jemma, we thought this girl can do a lot of things," Peter said. "She's got some sophisticated abilities. We knew we could give this character of Tiara more colours in the rainbow than we originally thought."
"Jemma's smart, sophisticated beyond her years and funny," Kenny added. "She's effervescent and a ball of fun. She can sing. She can dance. I think she's got that thing that Ashley Tisdale has."
However, the thought of joining a cast that had already bonded on the first two movies, and a franchise which is so massively popular worldwide, was an intimidating one for Jemma.
"It was quite scary because I am such a big 'High School Musical' fan," she said. "But everyone was so lovely and it was great. It will definitely go down as one of the best experiences of my life."
An added attraction of 'High School Musical' is the private lives of the cast. While Zac and Vanessa, who play on screen sweethearts, are dating in real life, they refuse to talk about their relationship - only increasing the interest in their romance.
Throw in the raunchy pictures of Vanessa which emerged in late 2007, showing the 19-year-old actress wearing skimpy underwear and naked in others, and the media interest in the celebrity couple exploded.
"It was very traumatic, and I am extremely upset it happened," she said following the incident. "I hope all my fans can learn from my mistake and make smart decisions. But I wouldn't have been able to get through it if it wasn't for my family, friends and fans, who supported me all along the way."
Despite refusing to confirm they are seeing each other, Zac and Vanessa are frequently photographed out together, and were recently pictured kissing and cuddling on the beach, and their off-screen chemistry definitely adds to their portrayal of the characters off screen - especially in the kissing scene.
"The chemistry the kids have with each other elevates it and makes it something more than just telling a fun story," Kenny said. "They are the most generous lot you could ever hope to work with. They really come to work with the right things on their minds."
Another member of the cast who attracts a lot of attention is Ashley Tisdale, who reprises her role as snobby drama queen Sharpay.
It was Ashley's decision to have rhinoplasty (plastic surgery on her nose) in 2007 which caused the most controversy, with parents complaining she was setting a bad example to their children.
However, Ashley - who was 22 at the time of the surgery, and is now 23 - insisted the surgery was necessary to correct a deviated septum.
"Growing up I always knew I had a deviated septum on the right side of my nose, which caused trouble breathing," she explained. "The older I got, the worse it got. I went to get it checked out, and the doctor told me the septum was 80 per cent deviated and that I had two small fractures on my nose."
Despite the pressures of fame, Zac, Ashley and Vanessa - as well as their fellow co-stars - have all been using their phenomenal success to their full advantage.
While Zac is attempting to move away from the films that made him famous by starring in period drama 'Me and Orson Welles' and '17 Again' - which takes its inspiration from age swap comedies like 'Big' and '13 Going On 30' - Ashley and Vanessa have both embraced their "multitalented star" statuses, and will be releasing their second albums in the near future.
But 'High School Musical' fans need not fret. While Kenny recently admitted the chance of doing another film with the current cast is slim (and Zac has since definitely ruled out the possibility of him returning), he is keen to do a film focusing on a "new generation" of East High students, possibly focusing on newcomer Jemma.
Kenny said: "I hope so. I mean, if these kids are still reacting this way after three it would be fun to try and imagine how we would do it for the next generation, maybe with Jemma."
Until then, fans can be safe in the knowledge that 'High School Musical' is definitely the 'Grease' of the younger generation - and with performances on ice and on stage proving massively successful, it seems there is still a lot of life left in the incredible Disney franchise.
By Sarah Bull.
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