Site icon Jim Hill Media

“High School Musical 5 & 6” ?! “Beauty & the Beast” headed back to Broadway ?!

Jim Hill

So — in the weeks & months ahead — we’ve got “My School Musical” on the Disney Channel, “High School Musical: Get in the Picture” on ABC as well as the theatrical release of “High School Musical 3.” But how far exactly is the Walt Disney Company planning on stretching the “High School Musical” franchise?


Would you believe …



Yep, back in April, the Mouse actually registered these domain names. Why For? Well, Disney Channel execs seriously want to stay in the “HSM” business long after Troy, Gabriella & the gang have graduated. Which is why they’ll be using “High School Musical 3” to introduce three brand-new Wildcats to the world: Matt Prokop, Justin Martin and Jemma McKenzie-Brown. These three young performers will be playing underclassmen at “HSM3.”



Copyright 2008 Disney. All Rights Reserved


And should that theatrical release prove to be a success, Matt, Justin & Jemma would then go on to star in “High School Musical 4.” Which would NOT be a theatrical release. But — rather — a TV movie that would air on the Disney Channel sometime in early 2010.


Mind you, just because the Walt Disney Company registered a domain name doesn’t automatically mean that this particular project is actually a “Go.” Take — for example —



Disney officials actually registered both of these domain names over the past five months. Long after the original Broadway productions of “Aida” and “Beauty & the Beast” had closed.



The 2007 production of “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas – The
Musical” at the St. James Theatre. Photo by Paul Kolnik

Though that said … There reportedly has been some talk at Disney Theatrical about possibly bringing “Beauty” back to the Big Apple as a holiday treat. You know? For a short seasonal run like the 2006 revival of “Annie” or the Old Globe Theatre‘s version of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” ? This musical version of Dr Seuss‘ holiday classic played at the Hilton in 2006, the St. James in 2007 and is now slated to tour nationally later this year.


And speaking of 2008 … Many Disneyana fans have been wondering what Mickey has up his sleeve for 2009. What’s the Mouse going to use to lure tourists back to Anaheim & Orlando once the super-extended version of “Year of a Million Dreams” finally wraps up in December?


Well, I hope you really liked Disney Parks & Resorts‘ promotion for 2003 (i.e. “Magical Gatherings,” which celebrated the magic that happened when friends and family reconnected over a Disney vacation). Because here comes …




Copyright 2003 Disney / Pixar. All Rights Reserved


The current plan calls for a national promotional campaign which will then try & lure tourists to the Disneyland & Walt Disney World Resort with the promise of extra-special birthday & anniversary celebrations …



… once they arrive on property.



Copyright 2006 Disney. All Rights Reserved


The only problem with the “Disney’s Magical Celebrations” plan is that … Well, when Jay Rasulo and his DP&R crew originally dreamed this year-long promotion for 2009 up, the price of gasoline was still under $3.00 a gallon. And now that consumers nationally are paying well over $4.00 for a gallon of Regular Unleaded … Mouse House insiders are wondering if the promise of free balloons & birthday buttons is really going to be enough to put heads in bed over the coming year. Convince hundreds of thousands of people to make plane reservations, book hotel rooms, buy theme park tickets and make yet another trip to Anaheim & Orlando next year. Where — in order for Disney’s business plan to come true — they then have to buy lots of t-shirts, pins & plush.


What about you folks? What’s it going to take to get you to return to Disneyland and/or Disney World in 2009? Is “Toy Story Mania” really going to be enough to get you & your family to go back there again?


Your thoughts?

Exit mobile version