High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is bringing the crew back together for the summer, but hopefully, they won't get lost in the woods. The third season was confirmed in September 2021, and since then, fans have been waiting to see what production and adventures are in store for the cast next. The series follows fictionalized students attending East High School, where the High School Musical trilogy took place, as they navigate relationships, rival schools, and finding themselves.

Many rumors have swirled about which cast members will return, what the plot will be, and what fans can expect from the next season. We've compiled everything we know about High School Musical: The Musical: The Series season 3 so far, from the plot and cast to what Disney franchises music for the series is coming from.

Plot: What We Know

high school musical the musical the series season 3
Disney+

Season 2 of the series left off with the school year winding down and the cast finishing their production of Beauty and the Beast. With summer on the horizon, the Wildcats are in need of a way to cool off. It looks like the crew will be heading to Camp Shallow Lake for a production of Frozen. However, not everyone may be willing to let the previous semester go. Nini (Olivia Rodrigo) was calling Gina's (Sofia Wylie) older brother Jamie (Jordan Fisher), who is a music producer interested in working with Nini. This could mean she isn't attending camp because she's off recording her music. E.J. and Gina seem to have finally become an item with the end of season 2, but will new faces at the camp change that?

Cast: What We Know

High School Musical The Musical The Series
Disney+

Fans can expect actors Joshua Bassett (Ricky), Matt Cornett, Sofia Wylie, Julia Lester (Ashlyn), Dara Renee (Kourtney), and Frankie Rodriguez (Carlos) to return as regulars for the next season. Previous series regulars Olivia Rodrigo and Kate Reinders (Miss Jenn) will be returning in recurring roles. Olivia Rose Keegan (Lily) from season 2 is also set to return in a recurring capacity. Joe Serafini (Seb) and Larry Saperstein (Big Red) are expected to return despite not being included on the original cast list released in January.

Related: Zac Efron's Best Movies Since High School Musical, Ranked

Several new and familiar faces have been announced. Corbin Bleu, who portrayed Chad in the original High School Musical trilogy, will be guest-starring as himself this season. This is in keeping with previous cast cameos like Lucas Grabeel (Ryan) and Kaycee Stroh (Martha). Meg Donnelly and Jason Earles also have confirmed guest star roles, with Donnelly portraying Val, a college student and counselor-in-training, and Earles playing Dewey Wood, the camp's director. Other new characters include Alex (Aria Brooks), an eighth-grader and new camper; Channing (Ben Stillwell), someone documenting the camp's production; Emmy (Liamani Segura), another eighth-grader whose looking to audition for the first time; Jet (Adrian Lyles), the intriguing new camper; and Maddox (Saylor Bell), a rule-following techie.

Release Date

high school musical the musical the series season 3
Disney+

Disney+ has confirmed the series will be released this year. It's likely the season will be released late in the year, in November or December, because production started in January. This would follow the timeline of the first season, which was released weekly from November 2019 to January 2020, while the second season had a summer release from May 2021 through July 2021.

Everything Else: The Music

high school musical the musical the series season 2
Disney+

In terms of music, the series is expected to cover classic songs from the High School Musical franchise and Frozen in addition to the original numbers that are likely to be included. Both surprisingly and unsurprisingly, Disney is pulling from another Disney Channel Original Movie franchise for music this season: Camp Rock. Camp Rock aired in 2008 and followed Mitchie Torres (Demi Lovato) at a summer music camp. With the new season of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series taking place at a summer theater camp, it makes sense to pull music from the classic franchise.

Related: Best Live-Action Musical Movies to Watch on Disney+

The soundtracks of all three franchises provide ample opportunities for an interesting season. Songs like "What Time Is It?," "All for One," and "Gotta Go My Own Way" from High School Musical 2 would be solid selections, complimenting themes presented at the end of the season and speculation of what's to come in the new season. "Walk Away" from High School Musical 3: Senior Year could be included, but it is likely songs from the third film will be saved for later seasons. From Camp Rock, songs like "This Is Me," "Gotta Find You," and "Our Time Is Here" would make great additions and connect with themes developed in the previous season. If the series ventures into the Camp Rock 2 soundtrack, "This Is Our Song," "Wouldn't Change a Thing," and "Introducing Me" would fit the vibe of enjoying summer camp while also providing some romantic insight. With the camp production being Frozen, it's likely renditions of classics like "Let It Go," "Love Is an Open Door," and "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" will be included. If the production combines the first two films, "Into the Unknown," "Lost in the Woods," and "Show Yourself" from Frozen II could also be featured.

The potential music, plot, and new characters make it seem like season 3 will be the best season of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series yet.