Zac Efron may have played crime-solving lifeguards, serial killers and rom-com heartthrobs since his days of starring in the High School Musical films, but he’ll always be a Wildcat at heart. Speaking to E! News Tuesday (May 10), three days ahead of the release of his new film Firestarter, the 34-year-old actor at last opened up about his thoughts on returning to the dance number-prone hallways of East High.
When asked if he’d ever be interested in an HSM reboot, he immediately responded with: “Of course.” “Seriously, having the opportunity in any form to go back and work with that team would be so amazing,” he continued. “My heart’s still there.”
Before he was booking films like Baywatch, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, Greatest Showman, Hairspray, 17 Again and now Firestarter — an adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name — Efron got his big break in 2006 portraying teenage basketball star Troy Bolton alongside castmates Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale and Corbin Bleu in Disney Channel’s trio of original HSM films. Though the original cast hasn’t yet reprised their roles since the franchise’s third and final film High School Musical 3: Senior Year, Disney+ did create a spinoff TV series starring someone you may know named Olivia Rodrigo.
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And while Efron did once imply that he resents his involvement in the now iconic, millenial-beloved films — once telling Men’s Journal that they weren’t “at all what I want to do” and that he still wishes he could go back in time to his HSM days to “kick his ass” — it seems as though he’s officially changed his mind.
“That would be incredible,” he added. “I hope it happens.”
See Zac Efron ponder a High School Musical revival below.