How 'HSM 4' Will Connect To The Original Franchise

Everything old is new again, and in the best possible way. We already have a spinoff to Full House currently streaming on Netflix, a Hey Arnold! movie heading to Nickelodeon, and even a Gilmore Girls revival on its way to Netflix that will hopefully tell us which of Rory's many suitors her heart belongs to. Now, Disney Channel is throwing its hat into the long-awaited sequel ring — and it could not be more beautiful. As reported by E! News on Tuesday, High School Musical 4 is happening, and it's the best news ever for everyone who still can't get "We're All In This Together" out of their head. And now, years of waiting for sequel news, we finally know what High School Musical 4 will be about thanks to E! News — and how it will connect with the original franchise.

The first film in the High School Musical franchise was a Romeo & Juliet-esque story between a jock and a brainiac... minus all the death and destruction, of course. The new film seemingly has similar elements, based on the reported character descriptions from E! News. According to the site, the film will feature Erin, the only female soccer player on her high school team, and Derek, a "bad boy" soccer player and dancer who is on the rival squad. Hmm... certainly sounds like Troy and Gabriella's love story.

The similar tone isn't the only connection between the original High School Musical story and the new movie. Also according to E! News, we can look forward to seeing a family relation of the original characters. Though it's unclear if we will see Sharpay and Ryan in the new movie, it looks like we will see their cousin. Campbell, who is described by E! News as "Troy Bolton 2.0." is not only a theater kid, but the captain of the soccer team. Though he is described as the new Troy, he sounds a lot more like Sharpay: According to the site, when he learns that his crush Erin wants to date Derek, he decides to take his romantic rival down.

It's awesome that the sequel is tying itself into the original franchise without having to actually bring the new cast members back. (As awesome as it would be to see Troy again, I doubt Zac Efron has the time to reprise his role.) Here's hoping that High School Musical 4 is as big a phenomenon as the original way.

Images: Disney Channel; Giphy