Disney's Zac Efron High School Musical Comeback: Why It Could Have Been a Sensational Success

Summary

Zac Efron's proposed cameo as himself in HSMTMTS would have been a disastrous plot device, blurring the lines between reality and fiction.

Including Zac Efron again as Troy Bolton could have overshadowed the characters developed in HSMTMTS and posed a risk of overshadowing the spin-off series. Even if the cameo had been permitted, it probably would not have materialized due to the potential diminishing of Efron's previous contributions to the High School Musical franchise.

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series took a bold and successful approach with its mockumentary style. However, there was one pitch for a Zac Efron mockumentary cameo that would have been a disastrous misstep for the show. Despite being unable to have Zac Efron reprise his role as Troy Bolton due to scheduling conflicts, series creator Tim Federle shared an interesting proposal for an Efron cameo. In an interview with The New York Times, Federle disclosed that a Disney executive once suggested having one of the mockumentary cameras reveal Zac Efron, as himself, behind the camera. While this idea was certainly unique, Federle ultimately decided it was too strange to include in the series.

Zac Efron Filming High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Is A Terrible Twist

Federle's decision to reject the Zac Efron cameo pitch was definitely the right choice. While it may have seemed like a funny plot twist, having Efron play the documentary filmmaker would have been a bad idea in the larger context. If Efron were to make an appearance in HSMTMTS, it should only be as Troy Bolton from High School Musical. This role is not only iconic for Efron, but it would have been a significant moment for the spin-off series. If the executive's idea had been implemented, Efron would have appeared as himself, which would have been confusing and blurred the line between reality and fiction too much.

Furthermore, it is probably better that Zac Efron was not included in HSMTMTS to begin with. Although the musical series is a spin-off of the original movie, it worked hard to establish itself as its own entity. Bringing back the star of High School Musical would have risked overshadowing the characters that HSMTMTS invested time in developing. Additionally, Zac Efron has moved on from the High School Musical franchise in his career and as an adult, it wouldn't make sense for Troy Bolton to return to high school.

Why Disney's Zac Efron HSM Return Idea Wouldn't Have Happened

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series couldn't secure Zac Efron for a cameo as Troy Bolton, so the idea of him joining as a mockumentary filmmaker wouldn't have made sense. Ultimately, this would have undermined Efron's contribution to the High School Musical franchise. Despite Efron not returning, the series did feature cameos from other High School Musical actors like Corbin Bleu, Lucas Gabreel, and Kaycee Stohl, adding a touch of the original magic to the spin-off. Therefore, it's likely a good thing that the idea of Efron's cameo didn't come to fruition, even though many may miss seeing him as Troy Bolton.