All of our nostalgic dreams are coming true this week. Aaron Carter loves Hilary Duff, DJ Tanner is back on TV, and Zac Efron says we can maybe get our hopes up for a High School Musical sequel. Okay, he didn't confirm anything, but he did say “We’re all thinking about it. I continue to see all the guys from High School. Every time we do…there’s just this look between us.” So while there may not be a reunion in the works yet, having Efron and the rest of the "guys" (did he mean the whole cast, or only the male cast?) on board makes it a lot more likely to happen. I'm sure the Disney channel would be down to make some more money and let's be honest, we'd all see it. Why? Here are 8 reasons:
1. A CHANCE TO SEE THEM ACTUALLY FLESH OUT A GAY CHARACTER
Ryan Evans' sexuality in the movies was never explicitly discussed (and he was hastily paired up with the female pianist when gay rumors started flying after the first film) but everyone has always seen him as a 'coded gay' character. Vanessa Hudgens admitted this herself saying, "Maybe a little bit. I remember Ashley Tisdale and I wondering, 'Is he or isn’t he?' He is very musical theater-inclined. I think he just hasn’t figured it out yet." She also addressed how it would be great to see an openly gay character on the Disney Channel. After the channel featured a same-sex couple on the show Good Luck Charlie earlier this year it seems that Ryan might be finally able to come out in a reunion movie. "That would be groundbreaking, and it would definitely be nice," Hudgens said. "Society is a lot more open than it used to be, so I don’t think there’s a better time than now."
2. ZAC EFRON'S SINGING INTENSITY
High school is hard! Let's sing about it on a golf course really passionately!
3. DANCE NUMBERS ABOUT NOT DANCING
"I don't dance!" shouts Corbin Bleu's character before busting out a complicated dance routine.
4. ENTHUSIASTIC ACTING
Nothing illustrated better how overly dramatic high schoolers are than the acting in these movies. Particularly Zac Efron's.
5. ROMANTIC MOMENTS
Who wasn't rooting for Troy and Gabriella's relationship through all their ups and downs? From their adorable karaoke beginnings through this sweet dancing-in-the-rain bit, it was definitely a perfect coupling.
6. PRISTINE SCHOOLS
If this reunion takes place in college I look forward to seeing how the set decorators go about presenting the schools. In the movies the high school set always looked SO CLEAN. WHITE LOCKERS? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Plus the halls magically emptied whenever Vanessa Hudgens had a soulful song to sing. No PDA-filled couples or fast-walkers getting in her way or anything.
7. SHARPAY'S WARM-UP
I will never get tired of watching Ashley Tisdale's character get ready to go on stage.
8. BRINGING MUSICALS BACK
I always wished I lived in a world where everyone spontaneously bursts in to song. Alas, I don't, but if High School Musical comes back I can pretend I live in one for a little while.
We hope this reunion movie becomes a real thing if only because it's so much fun to shout "What team? WILDCATS!"
Images: Disney
