High School Musical's Vanessa Hudgens Explains Why She Was Really At East High And Provides A+ Response To Zac Efron's Visit

Vanessa Hudgens in High School Musical 3 smiling at the camera in a graduation robe.
(Image credit: Disney)

Allow me to set the scene, it’s July, and the third season of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is up next on the TV schedule. I’m scrolling through Instagram and nearly throw my phone out of excitement when I see Vanessa Hudgens has posted a video in front of East High. The internet blew up, and theories and speculation began to run around about the actress returning to the franchise that started her career. Now she's providing a bit of clarity as to why she was there, if she'll be on HSMTMTS, and her thoughts on Zac Efron's serendipitous post in front of the legendary school.

Vanessa Hudgens Explains Why She Was At East High

The actress did an interview with EW and  she was asked about her video at East High, Hudgens responded with: 

My boyfriend was playing in Salt Lake — he's a baseball player. So he was at the field and I had rented a car and I was like, 'I want to go check it out and take some pictures for old time's sake.'

Hudgens' boyfriend, Cole Tucker is an outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and while his team was playing in Utah, the actress tagged along. Which is what led to this nostalgic video: 

Then a few weeks later, Troy Bolton himself, Zac Efron also posted a photo at East High, and Hudgens responded in the best way. 

After They Both Showed Up At East High, Vanessa Hudgens Has An A+ Response To Zac Efron’s Post 

To add fuel to the already blazing fire of speculation, Zac Efron posted a Breakfast Club-inspired photo in front of the high school not too long after Hudgens. Check it out: 

These two posts led a lot of fans to believe the duo would return to the High School Musical franchise, however, it turned out to just be a coincidence. In response to the post, Hudgens said: 

What can I say, I'm a trendsetter.

She's right she is a trendsetter, now hopefully this means they'll both come back. Even though the stars haven’t shown up on HSMTMTS Efron has said he’d be down to come back if he has time. He adorably said his “heart’s still there” and that going back to East High would be “incredible.” With this new interview, Hudgens has also chimed in about if she’d return.

The Gabriella Actress Weighs In On Possibly Appearing On High School Musical: The Musical: The Series 

While we have seen the return of Corbin Bleu and other High School Musical alum to the spin-off Disney+ series, fans have been begging for the two leads to come back. With the announcement of many OG HSM cast members coming in for Season 4 of HSMTMTS one of the biggest questions after Season 3 has been if Efron, Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale would be back as well. 

While Efron has said he’d be down, he is a busy fella. Hudgens is in a similar boat, but when asked if she’d return, she said: 

I don't know. We leave it up to fate. Leave it up to the gods.

Well, it's not a no. 

It would for sure be a blessing if she was able to come back, even if it was just a little cameo in the upcoming season. However, with these coincidental posts from Utah, and the return of basically everyone but them to the franchise, it seems highly likely both Efron and Hudgens will “Work This Out” and come back so that we're truly "all in this together" come Season 4 of HSMTMTS.

All three High School Musical movies and its spin-off series can be watched with a Disney+ subscription

Riley Utley
Weekend Editor

Riley Utley is the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. She has written for national publications as well as daily and alt-weekly newspapers in Spokane, Washington, Syracuse, New York and Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated with her master’s degree in arts journalism and communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Since joining the CB team she has covered numerous TV shows and movies -- including her personal favorite shows Ted Lasso and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She also has followed and consistently written about everything from Taylor Swift to Fire Country, and she's enjoyed every second of it.