"High School Musical 3" Is Tops at Weekend Box Office

By Andrew Gans
and Adam Hetrick
27 Oct 2008

Zac Efron in "High School Musical 3: Senior Year."
Zac Efron in "High School Musical 3: Senior Year."

"High School Musical 3: Senior Year," the latest installment in the hit Disney film franchise, was the highest-grossing film of the Oct. 24-26 weekend.

The new movie musical brought in $42 million in the U.S., according to boxofficemojo.com. That figure represents the largest opening-weekend box-office take ever for a movie musical. "HSM 3" also took in $40 million overseas.

Other top grossers of the weekend just ended include "Saw V," "Max Payne," "Beverly Hills Chihuahua," "Pride & Glory," "The Secret Life of Bees," "W.," "Eagle Eye," "Body of Lies" and "Quarantine."

"'High School Musical 3: Senior Year,'" according to press notes, "finds high school seniors Troy and Gabriella facing the prospect of being separated from one another as they head off in different directions to college. Joined by the rest of the Wildcats, they stage an elaborate spring musical reflecting their experiences, hopes and fears about their future."

Kenny Ortega directed the film musical, which stars Zac Efron (Troy), Vanessa Hudgens (Gabriella), Ashley Tisdale (Sharpay), Lucas Grabeel (Ryan), Corbin Bleu (Chad) and Monique Coleman (Taylor), through the high-energy film.

Songs in the film include "Now or Never," "Right Here Right Now," "I Want It All," "Can I Have This Dance," "A Night to Remember," "Just Wanna Be with You," "The Boys Are Back," "Walk Away," "Scream," "Senior Year Spring Musical Medley," "We're All in This Together," "High School Musical," "Just Getting Started" and "Last Chance."