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Who Will Be Returning For "High School Musical 4"?

One of the original stars reveals whether or not they'll be rejoining the Disney franchise.

When it was announced this past March that Disney would be reviving its beloved High School Musical franchise in a fourth installment, the internet was abuzz with questions about whether or not the original cast would take part in the film. Now, it seems we're beginning to get some answers.

In an interview with New You magazine, Ashley Tisdale, who played fan-favorite Sharpay in the original three High School Musical movies and the spinoff Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure, revealed that as much as she'd like to return to the hallowed halls of East High, she would not be participating in High School Musical 4.

"Looking back, it was such a perfect thing for its time and was so pure that I just don't know how you go from there," she began. She goes on to say that what made the films great was "the magic there at the time" and though she's not sure how they'll replicate it, she knows "Disney is an amazing company" and that they'll find "some way to do it."

Rumors of High School Musical 4: East Meets West have been swirling since 2010 when Disney Channel president Gary Marsh first hinted that the network would be interested in making another High School Musical movie. In a statement released at the time, he said he was "excited to be part of [the] franchise" and that he wanted to "keep the art form of the traditional musical alive."

Since then, progress on the film has been slow-moving. Though most of the original cast has refrained from commenting on the project, in 2013, star Zac Efron was quoted as saying: "I can't say for sure if it will happen but deep down in my heart, I would jump at the chance."

Flash forward three years and the Neighbors star has changed his tune completely. In a recent interview with Men's Fitness, Efron expressed disdain for his HSM past: “I step back and look at myself and I still want to kick that guy’s ass sometimes...I mean, he’s still just that fucking kid from [High School Musical].”

In the March confirmation of the movie, director Jeffrey Hornaday announced that he and writers Dan Berendsen and Peter Barsocchini would be holding an open call to bring in new faces to the HSM universe. As it stands now, the fourth movie will explore the rivalry between East High and their neighbors, the West High Knights—it will not include any members of the original cast.

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