HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3 Tops Weekend Box Office; Biggest Musical Opening EVER!

The North American release of Disney's High School Musical 3 brought in even bigger numbers than originally anticipated. Variety reports that High School Musical 3 brought in $42 million domestically to top the box office and to make it the biggest musical bow ever. 

The film also brought in $40 million from 22 overseas markets and has been receiving better than anticipated reviews, including a weekend rave from Stephen Holden in the The New York Times. 

Disney's High School Musical phenomenon leaps onto the big screen with High School Musical 3:Senior Year in which America's favorite high school students (Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman) hit senior year. Amidst a basketball championship, prom and a big spring musical featuring all of the Wildcats, Troy and Gabriella vow to make every moment last as their lifelong college dreams put the future of their relationship in question. A crew of sophomore Wildcats (Matt Prokop, Justin Martin, Jemma Mckenzie-Brown) joins in the fun as the film's incredible new music and exciting dance numbers take maximum advantage of the big screen.

DGA Award-winning director and choreographer Kenny Ortega once again is at the helm for Walt Disney Pictures' upcoming film High School Musical: 3 for the big-screen, featuring all principal cast members from the two previous tween-phenomenon TV events; including Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman.

High School Musical premiered on Disney Channel on January 20, 2006, and became the highest rated original movie up until that time. It won the Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Children's Programming, and received two Emmy Awards (of its total 6 nominations), a DGA Award, an Imagen Award for Best Children's Program, and a Humanitas Prize nomination. The soundtrack received a Billboard Music Award for Soundtrack of the Year, and was nominated for an American Music Award in the Favorite Album (Pop/Rock) category. The film even earned an entry in the Guinness World Record Book as the first TV movie to deliver nine concurrent singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

High School Musical 2, the sequel to Disney's smash TV hit, premiered on the Disney Channel on August 17, 2007 and drew an estimated 17.2 million viewers on Friday night, making it the most-watched basic cable telecast ever and garnered the most tween viewership ever.

High School Musical 3 is slated to open in theaters nation wide on October 24th, 2008. For more information please visit www.disney.com.

Photos Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios