The franchise also includes stage musicals, books, comics, live shows, video games, and a television series.

Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, and Monique Coleman starred in the trilogy.

The film follows basketball star Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) and shy, smart Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens).

Drama queen Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale), seeking to eliminate her competition for the Winter Musical, convinces Taylor McKessie (Monique Coleman) to invite Gabriella to the Scholastic Decathlon team.

Chad and Taylor stage a school-wide computer glitch that forces the school to stop the game and the Decathlon, and lead all the students into the auditorium.

The whole gang is hired at Lava Springs Country Club, where Sharpay tries to convince manager Mr. Fulton (Mark L. Taylor) to intimidate the Wildcats into quitting.

As the club prepares for the end-of-summer talent show, Sharpay schemes to win Troy over with various luxuries, including a chance for a college scholarship, worrying Gabriella.

Ryan, abandoned by Sharpay, spends more time with the Wildcats and secretly prepares a special dance number for them to perform at the talent show.

Sharpay learns her lesson in humility and is invited to join in; instead of awarding the Star Dazzle Trophy to herself as usual, she gives it to Ryan.

Nearing the end of senior year, Troy rallies the Wildcats to basketball championship victory, and he and Gabriella reflect on their time at East High and their uncertain future.

The Wildcats prepare for the musical, where Troy and Gabriella make a surprise appearance, and Ms. Darbus announces that both Kelsi and Ryan have received a scholarship to Juilliard.

The Wildcats reveal their college choices, with Troy deciding to stay not far from Gabriella, and the film concludes with a big celebratory graduation.

Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure is a spin-off film starring Ashley Tisdale, and was released as a Blu-ray/DVD combination pack on April 19, 2011, and then broadcast as a Disney Channel Original Movie on May 22, 2011.

After performing at a local fundraiser event in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a talent scout offers Sharpay a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in New York City.

Unsure if she is ready to take on the big city by herself, Sharpay's father tells her that she has one month to land a role in the show, or she will have to return home and work at the Lava Springs Country Club.

Upon arriving in New York City, Sharpay soon realizes that the theatre world is a lot more cut-throat than a high school musical.

The plot includes: The high school team captain discovers that the girl next door has changed a lot over the summer.

He criticized what he perceived as a lack of effort in creating a culturally relevant adaptation of the original, stating that the film's setting made to look like "any college in Middle America, but full of Mandarin-speaking students", and calling the script "non-existent".

[17] A pilot episode for the series was officially ordered in early 2011,[18] which would star Luke Benward, G. Hannelius, Leah Lewis, Katherine McNamara, Mark Indelicato, and Nolan Sotillo.

[22] In February 2019, the rest of the cast was officially announced with: Sofia Wylie as Gina, Kate Reinders as Miss Jenn, and Olivia Rodrigo as Nini.

[25] During July and August 2008, ABC broadcast a reality competition based on the series, titled High School Musical: Get in the Picture,[26] hosted by Nick Lachey.

[28] On January 20, 2016, to celebrate the movie's tenth anniversary, the cast reunited and shared fond memories and photos from the past and present.

The special aired on Disney Channel, with Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Lucas Grabeel and Monique Coleman in attendance.

Zac Efron was absent due to promotional commitments for Dirty Grandpa, but sent in a video sharing his memories of the film and thanking the fans.

[31] The cast included 2004 World Junior Bronze Medalist Jordan Brauninger and 2004–2005 Australian national champion Bradley Santer.