Disney Channel Begins Casting for "High School Musical 4"

What Team!!!! WILDCATS!!!!! The Disney Channel and Disney just made a huge announcement. Disney Channel has begun casting today for "High School Musical 4." Yes, you heard that correctly the hit franchise that debuted 10 years ago will be coming back with another sequel. Here is the press release from Disney

MARCH 1, 2016
Disney Channel to Begin Casting Today for “High School Musical 4″

More than 10 years after High School Musical became a global phenomenon, Disney Channel is getting ready to return to East High one more time with the announcement of High School Musical 4.

A nationwide casting search begins today for the planned Disney Channel Original Movie that will continue the story of the global sensation High School Musical—and introduce new East High Wildcats and their cross-town school rivals, the West High Knights.

Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer, Disney Channels Worldwide, said, “High School Musical is part of Disney Channel’s DNA. It embodies all that we stand for. As a way of continuing to embrace that heritage, we’re excited to announce ‘the start of something new’ —as we launch a search for a new class of East High Wildcats to star in a fourth installment of the ‘High School Musical’ franchise.”

DGA Award nominee Jeffrey Hornaday (Disney Channel’s Teen Beach Movie, Teen Beach 2) is attached to direct and choreograph the movie.

Dan Berendsen (creator/executive producer of Freeform’s Baby Daddy, writer of Disney’s Hannah Montana: The Movie, Disney Channel’s Teen Beach 2 and Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie) and Peter Barsocchini (writer of all three High School Musicalmovies) are the screenwriters of High School Musical 4. Bill Borden and Barry Rosenbush return as the executive producers.

Directed and choreographed by Kenny Ortega (also of Disney Channel’s Descendants) High School Musical is remembered fondly by a generation of kids and families and renowned for inspiring viewers to explore and participate in music, dance and theater. The now iconic Disney Channel Original Movie premiered January 20, 2006, delivering 7.7 million Total Viewers in the U.S.—at the time, the highest ratings for any telecast ever on Disney Channel. It broke new ground as the first-ever TV movie soundtrack to reach #1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and went on to become the #1 album of 2006 as well as the #1 soundtrack and #1 Kids’ album of that year.

Its critically acclaimed sequel, High School Musical 2, ranks as the #1 basic cable telecast of all time (18.6 million viewers for its August 17, 2007 premiere). The “High School Musical 2” soundtrack is triple Platinum and its DVD release was the top-selling TV property on DVD for 2007. Walt Disney Pictures debuted High School Musical 3: Senior Year in October 2008. Its premiere weekend box office sales marked the highest debut ever for a musical and for a live-action G-rated film. It grossed over $250 million at the worldwide box office.

High School Musical received two Emmy Awards, the Television Critics Association Award, an Imagen Award (recognizing the positive portrayal of Latinos in entertainment media), a Billboard Music Award for Soundtrack of the Year, an American Music Award and a Producer’s Guild of America Award. The movies also delivered licensed amateur and professional touring stage productions, a bestselling junior novel, a popular consumer products franchise at mass retailers, a themed show at Disneyland Parks and Resorts in Anaheim, Orlando and Paris, and a sold-out 42-date arena concert tour in North America and Latin America.

Star Wars Half-Marathon Completed at Disneyland,"High School Musical" Cast Reunite for 10-Year Anniversary, & More

Star Wars Half-Marathon Completed at Disneyland:

Last week, the Walt Disney World marathon began marathon season at Disney Parks. This morning the Star Wars Half-Marathon was completed at Disneyland. The race was completed by more than 13,000 athletes as they ran the 13.1 mile intergalactic course around the Disneyland Resort and Anaheim streets, where a variety of Disney entertainment, including Star Wars characters, cheering on runners at every mile.

This year's men's winner was Nick Arciniaga, a Fountain Valley, CA native who won his second straight Star Wars Half-Marathon at a record-setting pace of 1:05:49. Adam Roach of Pebble Beach, CA finished in second with a time of 1:12:29, while Hunter Sapienze of Seattle, WA was third with a time of 1:12:38. In winning the race Arciniaga said, "This is a race that means a lot to me. I've been a Star Wars fan ever since I can remember."

On the women's side, Annie Bersagel of Colorado won with a light speed pace of 1:15:09. Second place finisher was Jennifer Berry of Denver, Colorado with a time of 1:21:11 and third place was Kendal Sager of Los Altos, CA with a time of 1:25:05. Bersagel joked after winning, "I was the fastest stormtrooper out here today. So that's all you can really ask for, right?"

"High School Musical" Cast Reunites for 10-Year Anniversary:

Just to put this in perspective, 10 years ago I was a junior in high school and this week on Wednesday the Disney Channel will air a special 10-year anniversary special telecast of the channel's hit tv movie, "High School Musical." Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, and Monique Coleman will reunite on Wednesday at 8:00 ET/PT. The group taped segments for the special today in a high school gymnasium in suburban Los Angeles. 

One of the film's stars will be missing in Zac Efron who will appear via a pre-taped message during the telecast to High School Musical fans. "High School Musical" debuted on Disney Channel on January 20, 2006 to a whopping 7.7 million viewers in the United States, at the time the largest rating ever for a telecast on Disney Channel. 

Gary Marsh, President and Chief Creative Officer, Disney Channels Worldwide, said, “Seeing the cast of High School Musical back together again reaffirms what made it special 10 years ago. It’s their optimism, their dedication and their extraordinary talent—as a group—that made this such an exceptional movie and cultural phenomenon. Ten years later, the movie continues to delight audiences around the globe, not just for its memorable song and dance numbers, but for its universal themes that continue to resonate with fans everywhere – express yourself, believe in yourself and always follow your dreams.”

Radio Disney's Ernie D also interviewed the cast that will be seen on "Radio Disney Insider" on Thursday, January 21 on Disney Channel and the Radio Disney app. Subsequent telecasts of the hit tv movie and its sequel, "High School Musical 2," will be presented on Thursday, January 21 and Sunday, January 24 on the Disney Channel. Freeform will also air "High School Musical" on Saturday, January 23 at 4:30 p.m. EST and on Sunday, January 24 at 2 p.m. EST. 

Will you be tuning in?

Adam Driver/Kylo Ren Does Hilarious Undercover Boss Skit on SNL:

Finally, last night Adam Driver stole the show on "Saturday Night Live" in a skit where Kylo Ren goes undercover on the Starkiller Base in a sketch parody of CBS' Undercover Boss. In the sketch Kylo Ren goes undercover in the disguise of Matt, a radar technician, on the Starkiller Base. The sketch is pretty hilarious but you'll just have to check it out for yourselves to judge: