UK: Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale premiere High School Musical 3 in London

Record ID: 219998

  • Title: UK: Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale premiere High School Musical 3 in London
  • Date: 8th October 2008
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (OCTOBER 7, 2008) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF EMPIRE THEATRE / CINEMA WHERE 'HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3' PREMIERE TOOK PLACE WITH BANNERS
  • Embargoed: 23rd October 2008 13:00
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  • Reuters ID: LVACMCM6GPHDYLIZQG05LDCO4I7W
  • Story Text: 'High School Musical 3' breaks UK box office pre-sales ahead of its premiere as Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, and Corbin Bleu bring back the cast for senior year.
    One of the biggest movie franchises in history premiered in London with its stars Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale and Corbin Bleu greeting excited and screaming fans in Leicester Square on Tuesday (October 7).
    'High School Musical 3: Senior Year' smashed the record for the fastest and biggest advanced sales in British movie history, beating previous record holder "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and "The Lord of the Rings" and all the Bond films, according to a press release.
    Advanced ticket sales topped 800,000 pounds in the UK (Approx 1.4 million USD) three weeks ahead of its release and will be pushing one million pounds by the time it reaches cinemas, according to the Daily Telegraph newspaper.
    Fans waited in the rain to greet the "wildcats" as dancers dressed as athletes and cheerleaders performed a dazzling routine on the red carpet.
    Zac Efron, who plays basketball player and theatre actor Troy Bolton leads the group into their senior and final year at East High School, with tough decisions and last chances to make an impact on their school before they go their separate ways.
    The cast members have been touring Europe ahead of its London premiere where Efron said he was overwhelmed by the turnout.

    "It's amazing. This is the biggest turnout we've had on the entire tour so we're really flattered. We're proud to be representing this movie," he said.
    He added that it seemed fans young and old were equally as excited when they met him: "Yeah, you know, sometimes the moms are even crazier than the fans are, it's really interesting."
    Vanessa Hudgens, his real-life girlfriend who also plays his love interest Gabriella Montez in the film said her character grew into maturity and with it facing some important choices.

    "She's (Her character in the film Gabriella Montez) growing up you know, she's facing expectations of her parents. She gets into Stanford early so she's trying to figure out what to do with herself," Hudgens told Reuters Television.
    The senior year for the group means the end for the core characters, which Hudgens said was too much to take in.

    "(It's) Very sad. I can't even like really think about it because whenever I do I start to tear up. It's been the most amazing journey,"
    she said.
    Likewise, her co-star in the movie Corbin Bleu who plays Chad Danforth said it wasn't easy saying goodbye to friends and a character who grew with him.

    "Oh of course you know, it was a very nostalgic time being able to film the movie and we had such a beautiful time together. It was a sad moment the last day but I'll hold onto this forever," said Bleu.
    But it's not over for the highly successful franchise, say producers who launched an international casting call to find new "wildcats".
    Among them was the Yorkshire-born Jemma McKenzie-Brown, who studied at the prestigious Sylvia Young acting school in London. She plays British student Tiara Gold in the movie and said she nothing could have prepared her for the excitement of one of her first premieres.

    "So exciting. It's really weird that they actually know who I am.
    I figured I'd just walk through (the red carpet) but yeah it's crazy they're all like Jemma, Jemma, it's great," she said.
    With the global exposure and Disney machine backing her up, McKenzie-Brown could be on the brink of superstardom. But she maintains that: "People say that's going to happen but you never think it's going to happen to yourself so if that happens woo hoo if not hey."
    Director and choreographer of the film Kenny Ortega, who includes 'The Gilmore Girls', 'Dirty Dancing', and 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' to his illustrious Hollywood credentials said the movie's remarkable success can be attributed to good old-fashioned values.

    "There's a certain honesty and fun and spirit and togetherness that I think is there, I think definitely the music and dancing. The world is colourful and safe and pleasant to be visiting for an hour and half. It's an alternative to some of the darkness out there," he said.
    Creator and producer of the film Bill Borden said the idea for the film franchise came close to home: "When I had the idea to make this, I made it because I had three kids who love watching musicals so I wanted to make something they could appreciate and love and I thought if there are three boys who love sports and love music, I think there will be a lot of other kids who will love it too but who would ever guess it would ever be this big."
    Producers said there will be a 'High School Musical 4' but doesn't include all the original cast members.
    'High School Musical 3' opens in UK cinemas on October 22 and U.S.
    cinemas October 24.
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