If you missed the news, rehearsals have commenced for High School Musical: Senior Year and filming is set to begin in April on the third and final (? – Vanessa doesn’t think so) movie of The Disney Channel’s breakout hit.

A huge casting search has found three new young stars to join the cast of HSM3 as sophomore “Wildcats” – Matt Prokop, Justin Martin, and Jemma McKenzie-Brown got the call.

GossipGirls note the busy schedule that these future stars will be keeping as fame calls. Just look at Ashley Tisdale’s life.

Meanwhile Zac Efron appeared on Access Hollywood and he talks about his decision to return to the High School Musical franchise for the fans sake.

Remember HSM3 is going to skip The Disney Channel and open in regular movie theaters this time around. Opening day is October 24, 2008. News on the premiere as soon as I hear it, I promise.

Finally, someone has collected a few pictures of Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale (with her dog Maui) and Lucas Grabeel arriving for rehearsals for High School Musical 3 and put them in a video. I’ve embedded it below the cut for you.

* The Musical World of Walt Disney by David Tietyen (Hal Leonard, 1990)

* The Golden Age of Walt Disney Records, 1933-1988 by R. Michael Murray (Antique Trader Books, 1997)

* The Illustrated Treasury of Disney Songs (Hyperion, 1998)

* Walt’s Time by Robert B. Sherman & Richard M. Sherman (Camphor Tree, 1998)