High School Musical 3: Senior Year

High School Musical 3: Senior Year
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Kenny Ortega
Written by	Peter Barsocchini
Produced by	Bill Borden Barry Rosenbush
Starring	Zac Efron Vanessa Hudgens Ashley Tisdale Lucas Grabeel Corbin Bleu Monique Coleman
Cinematography	Daniel Aranyò
Edited by	Don Brochu
Music by	David Lawrence
Production companies	Walt Disney Pictures Borden & Rosenbush Entertainment
Distributed by	Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release dates	October 17, 2008 (2008-10-17) (London) October 24, 2008 (2008-10-24) (United States)
Running time	112 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$11 million[2]
Box office	$252.9 million[2]

High School Musical 3: Senior Year is a 2008 American teen musical film directed by Kenny Ortega and written by Peter Barsocchini. The sequel to High School Musical 2 (2007) and the third installment of the High School Musical film series, the film follows Troy Bolton (Zac Efron), Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens), Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale), her twin brother Ryan Evans (Lucas Grabeel), Chad Danforth (Corbin Bleu), and Taylor McKessie (Monique Coleman), who are in their final year of high school and face the daunting prospect of being separated as they go off to college. Joined by the rest of their East High classmates, they stage their last spring musical, reflecting their experiences, hopes, and fears about the future.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year was developed immediately following the success of its predecessor. Production returned to Utah for which Disney received a $2 million tax-break incentive, the largest the state has ever given to a film.^[3] Principal photography began in May 2008, and Walt Disney Pictures diverted a larger production and marketing budget to accommodate a theatrical release. The production returned to previous filming locations East High School and Murray High School, while additional scenes were filmed in Los Angeles.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year premiered in London on October 17, 2008, and was theatrically released in the United States on October 24, making it the only theatrical release in the franchise. Upon release, the film proved to be a moderate critical success, with some critics noting it as an improvement over the previous two installments due to the more emotional tone and themes, while many praised the higher production values. The film was also a commercial success, as it grossed $90.5 million worldwide in its first three days of release, setting a new record for the largest opening weekend for a musical film. Overall, the film grossed $252.9 million worldwide. The film's soundtrack was also successful, debuting and peaking at number two on the Billboard 200 in the United States. A spin-off film, Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure (2011), was released direct-to-video and on television.