Cinematical was just sent this brand new poster for High School Musical 3: Senior Year! This one hits the big screen on October 24th, and it marks the return of all your favorite High School Musical-ers like Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. From the official synopsis: "High School Musical 3: Senior Year finds high school seniors Troy (Efron) and Gabriella (Hudgens) facing the prospect of separation as they head off to different colleges. Joined by the rest of the Wildcats, they stage an elaborate spring musical reflecting their experiences, hopes and fears about the future. With incredible new music and exciting dance numbers designed to take maximum advantage of the big screen, this motion picture extravaganza delivers plenty of high-energy entertainment from East High's talented ensemble."

I don't think we need to tell you that this one is gonna be HUGE ... with a capital "We Love You Zac!" High School Musical 3: Senior Year touches down right on our hearts this October 24th.

Um, no, not that Lohan. As if Disney would ever take a chance on a gal fresh out of rehab. BUT, they might take a chance on Lohan's little sister, Ali. Oh yes, E! reports that Ali Lohan (Lindsay's 14-year-old sister) is auditioning for a part in High School Musical 3. Word has it she might take on the role of a spoiled little princess; E! says to "think of her as a Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) in training." For this third installment in the ultra-popular Disney franchise, Troy (Zac Efron) and Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) will reunite as high school seniors preparing for college. If you thought there was plenty of singing and dancing before, wait till you get these kids as seniors -- the possibilities are endless!

Thankfully, Ali Lohan is no stranger to singing. Back in 2006, she released her debut album full of Christmas tunes, Lohan Holiday. I tell ya, after hearing about this girl's older sister for the past several months, I'm about ready to take a Lohan holiday too. A part in High School Musical 3 would almost guarantee the minor Lohan a future career in front of the camera (assuming she doesn't hit 18 and go absolutely nutty on us). How do you fans of HSM feel about a Lohan sibling joining the party? Does it pump you up for the new film, or leave a sour taste in your mouth?

OK, so the music snob in me is not thrilled that someone like David Bowie would appear in a teen romance with a High School Musical star. But, luckily I don't take these things all that seriously and I'm sure I'll get over it. Variety reports that the music legend is currently in talks to star in the musical Will. Todd Graff (Camp) co-wrote the script with Josh Cagan and Graff will also direct.

The coming-of-age story centers on an outcast teen who befriends a like-minded girl who regrettably also runs with the popular crowd. Vanessa Hudgens plays the popular girl Sam, who after struggling with a stutter, has finally made it to the cool table. Liam Aiken will play her socially inept band mate. Remember this is a musical, so the story doesn't stop with the usual 'opposites attract' teen romance. The two then go on to "form an unlikely bond through their shared love of music. They assemble a like-minded crew of misfits and form a rock group to perform in a battle of the bands competition at their school."

The cast also includes Lisa Kudrow (who really does deserve to work more; the woman is hilarious), and Scott Porter (Friday Night Lights). Bowie is still in negotiations, so there is no word on which character he would be playing in the film. Part of me hopes it will just be a cameo, à la Zoolander. Will is set to start shooting in Austin, Texas in February and should hit theaters (with or without Mr. Ziggy Stardust) later this year.

I always get a tad excited when it comes time for a Disney kid to leave the nest. Over the years, we've watched some Disney kids grow up to have tremendous careers (Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling, Keri Russell). Then there are those who, well, are about one nut away from the loony bin (Britney Spears). Now a new crop of the Mouse crew are growing up and getting ready to branch out into various big-screen areas. We're talking kids like Zac Efron, Ashley Tisdale and, of course, Vanessa "Take My Picture" Hudgens. Recently, the drama hit Hudgens a few years early when nude photos of the gal were leaked online, prompting everyone to wonder whether Disney would cut ties with her prior to completing their High School Musical franchise. So far they haven't done that, and Hudgens is currently expected to appear in High School Musical 3, but other offers are starting to trickle in and she's jumping on them.

The Hollywood Reporter tells us Hudgens has signed on to co-star in a new coming-of-age dramedy called Will. Calm down there boys, she's not going hardcore just yet; it seems the gal will remain in the friendly teen world for now. The film tells of a "high school outcast and a popular girl who form an unlikely bond through their shared love of music. They assemble a like-minded crew of misfits and form a rock group to perform in a battle of the bands competition at their school." HR says Hudgens will play "Sam, a 15-year-old former stutterer now speaking slowly and deliberately, who becomes romantically entangled with the lead outcast." So it sounds like she's playing the popular girl, though they emphasize this stuttering issue, so I don't know. The film was written by Todd Graff and Josh Cagan, with Graff (Camp) taking on directorial duties. Will is scheduled to begin shooting next month in Austin.

The current issue of Entertainment Weekly features a cover story on "The 50 Smartest People in Hollywood." Last week, Monika commented on that list, stating that it's not as fun reading about smarties as it is reading about the dummies. Well, in response to EW, New York's Daily News ran its own list of the "Top 50 Dumbest People in Hollywood." Not surprisingly, sitting in the number one spot is Lindsay Lohan. An obvious choice since she's been the subject of more bad decisions -- at least that the media has concentrated on -- than any other celeb out there. Well, maybe Britney Spears (shockingly far down at #14) has made more. But Lohan has also made bad career decisions in addition to her bad personal-life decisions. Go ahead and sift through Cinematical's coverage of Lohan throughout the past year or two; I challenge you to find one smart idea she's had (entering rehab doesn't count).

Since this is a tabloid, though, the Daily News' list is hardly about career smarts. Most of the people on the list are there because of their scandals, controversies and apparently unforgivable, ongoing problems. That is how Shia LaBeouf -- who should be on EW's list more than Ben Affleck should -- can be considered dumb, despite the fact that his public drunkenness arrest has hardly dented his career. Same goes for Russell Crowe, whose phone-throwing incident was more than two years ago. Other celebs are easily agreed with: former Oscar hopeful Courtney Love; almost-threw-it-all-away-at-the-beginning actress Vanessa Hudgens; K-Fed (only #38?). Check out the rest here.

[via Fark.com]

Do a little dance, make a little [fun with Disney] .... get down tonight -- oh yeah, get down tonight. Us Weekly reports Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale will indeed reprise their ultra-popular roles for the upcoming High School Musical 3. Not only that, but their "sources" say Hudgens will receive a "substantial increase" in pay. See kids, that's what you get for going nekked on the internet. Earlier this year, Hudgens was head-deep in a scandal which involved nude photographs of the actress that were spread online; photographs she apparently took in private for her boyfriend and High School Musical co-star Zac Efron. At first it wasn't clean whether the family-friendly Disney would allow Hudgens to return to the series, but then they came out and stood by her -- saying something like "we hope she's learned a valuable lesson."

Not long ago, a rumor claiming Hudgens was dumped by Disney spread like wildfire across these very same internets; a rumor that was very quickly shot down. Now, if Us Weekly is to be believed, the actress will not only be back for part three, but she'll be back with a heavier wallet. Kudos to the folks who negotiated her contract -- I imagine they used Jedi mind tricks on the Disney heads: "You will ask Vanessa to return. And you will pay her more money. And you will take those nude pics of her off your computer." Disney would not confirm the casting reports, only that everyone (including Hudgens) was still in negotiations. Chances are Efron will also reprise his role, though his publicist said a deal is not yet signed. So what do you think about this whole thing? Should Vanessa have opted out of High School Musical and looked for some more adult-themed roles? Or if she smart for remaining on this money train a little while longer?

It's been over a month since those nude photos of High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens leaked online, and practically everyone had forgotten about them ... with the exception of a few lonely guys who use them for, um, research. Not long after the photos were revealed, it was believed that Disney would stand behind Hudgens and keep her onboard their High School Musical bus for at least one more film. Well, looks like they may have changed their minds. According to OK! Magazine, Disney has officially dumped Hudgens and will not ask her to star alongside Zac Efron in a High School Musical 3.

A moment of silence for the fans ...

Here's what their "inside" source had to say: "Disney finally decided that they don't want her back. They feel that as long as Zac Efron is in the movie, all will be fine. He's the real star - the household name - and, most importantly, he comes without baggage." Sounds a little gossipy to me, but then again it's OK! Magazine. OK! (Ya know, that exclamation point is supposed to tell you they mean business -- OK!?) The magazine goes on to say that "one of the Cheetah Girls -- Adrienne Baillon, 23, or possibly 23-year-old Sabrina Bryan -- will take Vanessa's place." Oh, and then there's this part: "The producers think that after Dancing With the Stars, Sabrina will be more famous than Vanessa." Really? The producers said that? And did they say that during recess on the jungle gym, or what? Until we get word from Disney regarding this major development, I'd consider this strictly a rumor for now, and, regardless, I'm sure Hudgens won't have to go without any offers for long. Paging Brett Ratner's Hugh Hefner biopic -- there's a girl you should consider ...

UPDATE: Hudgens' rep has denied these claims, saying they're "totally untrue." A Disney spokesperson says Hudgens is still in the running, and they're currently "still in negotiations with all the High School Musical stars."

For those who thought the rest of town was just going to sit back and let Disney rule the High School Musical world, think again -- Variety reports Showtime, Lionsgate and Spitfire Pictures have come together and will shovel out their own flick featuring a bunch of high school kids putting on a musical. Only, instead of having Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens blow each other candy-coated kisses from across the gymnasium (is that a scene, I don't even know?), this new film will be a straight-up documentary. Written and directed by Barry Blaustein, the doc will follow students from three southern Indiana high schools as they compete musical-wise for a spot in the International Thespian Festival.

Confession time: I was one of those drama kids back in high school, and helped work on the musicals (the ones where it was grade against grade -- we called it Sing!), although I never actually, well, sang. Behind the scenes stuff mostly, but I point this out because I know the kind of drama a drama class can provide. It could get nasty. Real nasty. Apart from the in-school activities, viewers will also get a chance to see how these kids live offstage; we'll meet the parents, teachers, local politicians, what have you. And hopefully none of the kids will get caught taking nude photos of themselves. Lionsgate will throw the doc onto the festival circuit to start out with, and if folks are really digging it, we'll see a theatrical run before DVD. So, are you fans of High School Musical ready to see how it really goes down? Or are you more comfortable in the land of make believe?

I haven't watched any of the High School Musical movies (probably because I'm not a pre-teen girl, nor do I have any pre-teen girls in my household), but I have seen pictures of star Vanessa Hudgens and ... well, let's not go there. By now you're probably well aware that naked photos of Hudgens appeared online last week, prompting male teens from around the globe to buy a whole lot of printer ink and tissues (ya know, in case the ink leaks). Almost immediately, folks began to wonder whether said photos would hurt Hudgens' chances of starring in a High School Musical 3, seeing as Disney goes to great lengths to protect their family-friendly image. However, following an apology from Hudgens herself, Disney has gone on record saying they would, according to a Reuters story, "continue negotiating her appearance in the third installment of the hugely popular series, one of the most popular programs in U.S. cable TV history."

The racy photos, which I refuse to link to (sorry), were apparently taken in private for Hudgens' boyfriend Zac Efron who, coincidentally, co-stars alongside the actress in those High School Musical movies. On-set teen romance -- does it get any cuter than that? I bet it started when she passed Efron a headshot with kissy lips on it. All together now -- awwww. But as the Reuters story points out, are nude photos of actors or actresses that big a deal anymore? Is Disney trying to forget this whole thing ever happened because they've decided to chill out a bit, chalk it up as "teens being teens" and go about their business, or is Disney simply not willing to break up the duo that helped provide them with "one of the most popular programs in U.S. cable TV history" -- even if one half of that duo now comes attached to a nude photo?

Personally, I don't know why on earth these stars continue to take photos and videos of one another in the nude when they always show up online afterwards. It almost leads me to believe the girl did it on purpose in order to (possibly) rid herself of that family-friendly rep. Then again, I'm not Vanessa and I don't know what she was thinking. But the good news is that she'll most likely star in at least one more Disney movie before moving onto bigger (and more controversial?) things. As far as her and Zac go -- I give it two months.

Since I'm well over the age of 18, you can probably understand why I'm not all that familiar with the work of Zac Efron. With only a passing familiarity with High School Musical and my refusal to sit through the Hairspray update (since they weren't bringing Pia "I play my bongos, listen to Odetta, and then I iron my hair" Zadora back), most of the time I'm just looking at the heartthrob wondering why he has chosen to revive Gwyneth Paltrow's haircut circa Sliding Doors. The Hollywood Reporter announced that Burr Steers (writer/director of Igby Goes Down) has just signed to direct the teen comedy 17 starring Efron. Written by Jason Filardi, the story centers on an adult man who suddenly finds himself to be 17 again and having to navigate the social mine field that is high school -- think of it as Mean Girls meets Big. Considering Steers' somewhat acidic take on young adulthood, it might help cut through the fairly cutesy premise of 17.

New Line snapped up the original pitch for the film back in February, and last June, Erik had given us the news that Efron had signed for the lead. The addition of a director must mean that the project is on its way to production. Efron has been recently linked to a remake of the 1984 classic, Footloose -- but as a musical! -- and our own Monika Bartyzel totally adores the idea. We kid. Of course, there is still the small matter of High School Musical 3 -- although, if you've been keeping on top of the gossip lately, you probably know that HSM producers might be facing a delay of in order to look for a new squeaky clean female lead.